Hey There Delilah
by Totally3rdGrade
Summary: Our hands touched on accident and a hot electric shock ran through me, an electric shock that I liked. The air in here suddenly felt humid and I felt my face blush- This is a story about how love can heal all wounds, no matter how deep those wounds are.
1. You Be Good, and Don't You Miss Me

I looked myself over in the full length mirror behind my bedroom door, mentally checking off the list of imperfections of my body in my head. I sighed, "I guess that's as good as it gets." I muttered to myself as I grabbed the thick black glasses off of my bedside table and slipped them on. I looked around the room quickly, surveying the sickening girlyness of it all before I locked the door with a key that I kept in my bra. I could feel myself sweating under all of the layers of clothes I threw on. It wasn't unusual for me to be sweating this time of year. In Jacksonville, Florida that wasn't unusual at all. I thundered down the stairs and into the small kitchen. My mother, Renee, was flipping pancakes behind the counter. I sighed again, I just couldn't understand why my mother had to do this to me! She knew that I was trying to go on a diet. You know, sometimes I don't even think she hears me when I talk. "Good morning sleepyhead!" she said brightly, I grimaced, I wasn't in the mood for her cheerfulness. "mmmhm." I replied and turned towards the living room. "hold on there!" she commanded, hurrying to cut me off when I reached the door. "Are you available tonight to baby-sit your brother?" I rolled my eyes, "no." That wasn't actually true but I was sure I could make some last minute plans with Jackie. Anything to displease my mother.

Frown lines appeared on her face. I supposed that these lines first appeared when my older sister got married to _him. _Renee searched my face for any trace of a lie, I made sure there wasn't. I was fairly good at lying, unlike the rest of my family. "Oh," she said shortly, I nodded and turned away to grab my bag for school. "Well tell whoever you have these _plans_ with, that you have to cancel." She smiled again, everything in her little conceited world complete. I cursed her in my mind, "no, I don't think I will." I replied hotly, she always expected me to drop anything I was doing so it would make her at ease, well I had my own life. Sort of. "What was that?" she said, but I knew she heard me. "I said no." Short and sweet. I turned on my heal. "Are you being rude to me?" I snorted. "Well I don't think so, but that's your opinion, I guess." I walked through the bright living room where my father was getting ready for work in front of ESPN. "Hey, sport." he said distractedly, I ignored him. Grabbing my black and white bag and swinging it over my shoulder I looked my mother in the eye. Her hands were on her hips, the vein in her head pulsed. If she didn't get her way, the whole house became depressed for days. "Well, since you were being rude to me, that definitely changes your plans, you can't go out with your friends tonight." I stared at her open mouthed. Phil looked up finally from the TV and watched us glare at each other.

"Are you serious?" I half yelled, "Mom! That's so unfair!" I shrieked. She shook her head, "you should have thought about that earlier then!" Even though I really didn't have any plans, this made me angry. "You can't do that!" I shouted, "You're not the boss of me! I'm not a little kid anymore." Renee stared at me, "I'm the parent, what I say goes as long as you live under this roof." I breathed in and out slowly, resisting the urge to break something. "Fine," My tone was cold as ice, no, colder. "When I'm eighteen, I'm gone for good." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Phil's jaw drop. "Wait a second her-" "Shut up." Renee told him. My mother folded a piece of hair that had fallen out of place. "Well good then." she said, I saw that her eyes looked watery for a minute but I didn't care at that moment. My dad stood up and walked in the middle of us, of coarse he was oblivious to my mother's eyes. "Come on Phil, I'll drive you to work." she muttered, grabbing her brown leather bag on the couch. She walked swiftly passed me and into the hall, I heard her making noise, trying to find her keys. "They're on the coffee table." I called, spotting the little silver keys next to the remote. Phil grabbed them before my mother could move. "I'll see you tonight." Phil whispered, breaking the tension. He kissed my cheek, I scowled, I didn't know why I was mad at him too, but I was. "Whatever." Phil chuckled and walked out of the room. I waited until the door was firmly shut before I moved again.

My brother walked down the stairs cautiously, "Is it over?" he asked, ready for me to pounce on him. He didn't like that I was the one to drop him off at school now, since Phil's truck broke. I nodded and waved him down the stairs impatiently, "come on we have to go now, If your late blame mom." he smiled, I smiled too. My brother was okay for a 12 year old. A little immature maybe, but he likes all of the bands I like, and that was cool with me. All though, I do think he might be gay, he likes the movie, _Annie_, way too much. When I opened the glass door a wave of uncomfortable heat blew into my face, I sweat even more as I walk to my beat-up jeep. At times like these, I question myself for wearing a long-sleeved shirt, coat, and jeans, but then one look in the mirror silences these thoughts. I threw my bag in the passenger's seat while my brother hopped in the back.

The school's weren't far from the house. I quickly kicked Todd out of the car when I stopped outside of the middle school and drove away so I wouldn't get another detention for being late. Thankfully I made it inside before the late bell wrung, so I had enough time to bitch about my mother to my best friend, Jackie Smith while I grabbed my books for the next three periods. "We were doing something tonight?" She asked confused, I cracked a smile. "No, I just wanted to make her mad. Anyways that's not the point! She expects me to be at the house all the time! I swear I sometimes think she confuses me with my older sister. Who, bye the way, had no life at all before she moved in with her dad." I had only met Bella's father once, when I was nine. We were all on vacation to see her in the little Washington town just outside of the town her father lived in. I remember Bella and her husband, Edward gave each other funny looks before we all got in the car. My mom and Phil didn't come, Renee thought it was awkward being in the same room with Bella's father. I was too, I observed that he didn't have much of a life without my mom, just like Bella didn't have much of a life with my mom.

My classes before lunch dragged on, by fourth period I thought I was going to die of hunger because I skipped breakfast. As I walked back to my locker again to grab my stuff for the classes after lunch, I remembered the math homework I hadn't done. I swore quietly, and dumped all of the crap I had in my bag back into the locker and filled it up again with knew crap, the most important crap being the unfinished homework that I'd "forgotten" about. I didn't like getting help on homework. My parents always worked out the problems different from my teachers, that frustrated me. Sometimes, I'm forced to call my sister on the phone for help. I always hated when Edward answered it is always awkward, I never liked Edward. He almost never talks to my brother and I directly. Anything close to a conversation would be this, "Do you kids like McDonalds?" We would reply yes, that would be it. I don't even like McDonalds, I just say yes to any questions he asks so I can run away and hide until someone else talks to me again.

The whole 10th grade class had lunch together, unfortunately. The seniors boys are so much more fun to look at. Jackie and I always complained about this. The boys in out grade were okay, we've just known them our whole lives. I dropped my books onto the nearest table in front of me and sat down, Jackie joined me soon after, so did some of our other friends. "Are you going to eat anything?" Erica asked, I shrugged and struggled to read the complicated word problem in front of me. "here, you can have these." Erik threw some potato chips at me, I looked up, surprised. He smiled at me from across the table. Jackie pinched my arm, I gave her a look that meant, "knock it off," she giggled. Erik had always liked me, I found it annoying. Jackie thought it was the funniest thing, that's probably why I was so annoyed in the first place. I popped the bag of _ Lays_ and took couple yellow and greasy chips. I munched them down quickly. I ignored that constant chatter around the table while I read the problems and answered them, probably incorrectly. After a while, I resulted in jotting random numbers down just so when the teacher glanced at my paper she could see that I wrote something.

Math and Science went okay today, I smiled to myself as I walked out the front door of the school with Jackie. I drove with her in the Jeep down to the middle school to collect my brother. I pushed the ON button of the radio. My newest CD blared for a minute until Jackie turned it down on instinct. "How are you not deaf by now?" she muttered, I smiled, so did Todd. I drove down the street to my house a little faster than necessary, just to be home. I sighed as I placed the car in park and shut the engine off. Unbuckling my seat belt, I grabbed my school bag from Jackie and we all made our way to the front door. Todd had the house key in his pocket, I lost mine ages ago, mom hasn't gotten around to replacing it yet. She was a very forgetful women. I decided as I walked into the kitchen that my anger for her evaporated. I found that I was done being angry, I was just sick of thinking about it. The cell phone in my pocket made beeping noise. It must be an old message from Renee, since my phone was shut off all during school. I pressed the "okay" button and listened to what she had to say. "Hi, baby. Look, I want to start over fresh okay?" I nodded, forgetting that she wasn't really talking to me. "I just called top say that I love you. I'll be at the house when you get home." I looked around, where was she? I walked all around the house as her voice drowned on in my ear. I still couldn't find her. When the message ended I clicked the phone shut and called, "mom?" No answer. "She isn't here, I checked." Todd called from the kitchen. I leaned on one foot so I could see him, his books were all spread out on the dining room table. Already doing his homework, I shook my head. Typical Todd. "Where is she then?" he shrugged.

I sighed, she probably got lost on the way home from dad's work. But she would have called and asked if I could go look up where exactly she was on _Map Quest_. I found Jackie on my couch listening to my iPod that I left on the table the night before. I waved and flipped on the TV. Right when I sat down, the door bell rang. It was probably Renee asking us to open the door for her, she lost her key too. I saw through the glass a big blue blob. I opened the door curiously, it was a policeman. He was fat, with grey hair and small eyes, I giggled to myself. "Hello," he said kindly but I swore he looked a little sad. I nodded and smiled. "Are you Delilah?" he questioned. "Yes." He nodded, "I don't know how to tell you this, but you parents have been in an accident." The smile on my face was frozen there, but I felt my eyes get really hot and wet. The policeman proceeded to tell me what had happened, I couldn't understand anything he said. I only caught the words, "died on the scene." and "is there anything I can do." I shook my head, I felt the tears in my eyes, but they were stuck. I swallowed and it hurt. My parents were never coming home to me again, they were gone, and it was probably all my fault. 


	2. Claustrophobic

"Who else lives here with you?" the policeman questioned me, I looked at him. His mouth moved but I just couldn't hear him. "What?" I said under my breath. "Do you have any siblings?" he said this slowly, like I was stupid or something. I thought for a moment, then I remembered. I wanted to break down and cry right then and there, but I couldn't. I had to stay strong. "My brother." I said quietly, as though for the first time in my life, I realized his existence. "Do you have any guardians or family in this area?" He was suddenly all business. "My sister lives in Washington." I said, my voice toneless. My sister adored Todd, he could live with her, I would leave them all alone. Maybe I could join the circus and change my name to Juanita, just so I couldn't cause anyone pain. My mother was the one driving, probably too angry at me to pay any attention to the road. "I'll contact her for you, if you could just give me her name and address." I nodded, and walked swiftly down the hall into the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Todd at the dining room table, he still didn't know yet. Bella's address and phone number was tucked away, it took me a while to find it. My mother and her have been out of touch lately, every time she and Edward are to visit, she's always suddenly busy with her job, or has a fever. I finally found the right information on top of the refrigerator. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have told the officer to leave me the fuck alone and let me call my sister. I did no such thing.

………………………………...

Arrangements were made, mine and Todd's bags were packed, and we were off to rainy Washington within the next 3 days. I couldn't look Todd in the eyes when I told him. At least his reaction was normal, he cried. I still couldn't produce a single tear, not even at the funeral. Bella and Edward came down to Jacksonville. When I saw her, I was stunned my her beauty just like I am every time I see her. When we locked eyes she moved forward slowly, inhaling deeply as she took me gently in her arms. Again I wanted to break down, but I didn't. Not a single teardrop, but I could feel them forming around my eyeballs. But while she hugged me, I had the sudden urge to tell her how I really felt, how Renee and I had an argument and that the last thing I said to her was that I couldn't wait to move out and away from her. I resisted.

I swallowed the big lump that had been in my throat for the last few days and followed my new guardians onto the plane that would be flying to Washington. Jackie was at the airport with me, to say goodbye. I hugged her tight, and told her that I'd call three times a week. She told me that she loved me, I told her the same. Bella wasn't really present during my childhood, it was Jackie that was there all the way. She was my sister too. Jackie didn't cry either, that made me happy in a way, it would have been ten times more painful if she had. I didn't talk the whole three hours on the plane, Todd and Edward played _500 Rummy_, I cranked my iPod the loudest it would go and closed my eyes. I didn't even mind the popping in my ears. I was shaken awake by my sister, I didn't even realize that I had dozed off, I needed sleep anyways. I walked groggily, following Bella where ever she and Edward were going. It wasn't until we were way passed the _Dunkin Doughnuts _that I realized Todd was nowhere to be seen. I stopped, and panicked momentarily. "Where's Todd?" I said loudly, Bella looked around at me, her weird colored eyes softened at my expression. She pointed to Edward. I saw Todd asleep in his arms, I sighed in relief shakily. "Come on, you can sleep in the car." Bella placed a hand on my shoulder, I jumped at her cold hands. "Sorry," she murmured. I nodded, the sudden shock of cold woke me up instantly.

When we stepped outside, I looked up at the sky, expecting to see it clear and starry. I was all clouds, dark clouds that seemed to suck me in, I felt a little claustrophobic. "Everything will be okay." said a voice, I was jerked away from the sky. It was Edward, I squinted at him. Todd wasn't in his arms anymore. I looked around to see Bella leaning into the backseat of a shiny Volvo. I was too tired and too depressed to say anything back. I walked with him to the car and I curled up on the seat next to Todd. I swear I heard a chuckle from the front seat before I drifted off to dreamland again.

I woke up in the middle of the night, I was in a strange room. It was big, so much bigger than my room at home. It took me a minute to realize that this must be Bella's house. I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Moonlight streamed into the spacious room. The shadows seemed to eat me up, they told me I should go to hell, they told me that I didn't love my parents enough. But I did, "I do! I love them so much!." I said, my voice disserted me. I swallowed, the claustrophobia crept up on me. I couldn't get out, I couldn't breathe. "Delilah! Delilah!" someone shouted. I opened my eyes again and blinked nervously. The light from the light above blinded me. "It's just a dream." said Bella, she stroked my hair just like Renee did when I was younger. Again, in a all my sleepiness, I wanted to tell Bella it was my fault that we were motherless. But I didn't. "It's okay," she soothed, "I know how much it hurts." Of coarse, she was going through the same thing. I looked into her eyes for the first time. It scared me, it always scared me the first time. That's why I always put that off. I kept looking at her eyes until the shock wore somewhat off. Bella smiled down at me, I didn't smile back. I observed her. She was perfect in everyway, her nose, her lips. So unlike me. I mentally punched myself about being jealous of her, especially now. I couldn't help it. Renee always expected me to be like her, but I found that totally and completely impossible.

Bella and Edward let Todd and I get used to our new home before we started school back up again. I thought that was a good idea. I loved my room, though I didn't admit that out loud, I didn't know how all of the junk that was in my old room got here, but everything I owned was present. The walls of my new room were painted light pink, "You can change the color." Bella said, the second day I was there. "When Edward and I moved in, we didn't really know what to do with this room, or the space so we left it alone. I wanted to paint it black. Bella chuckled when I told her this, it was then that I noticed how unusually and remarkably more beautiful she was when she laughed. If that was possible.


	3. The Drugstore

I sat in my newly painted room, reasonably satisfied. I had decided to only paint the ceiling black, it would be too dark otherwise. But it looked good. I smiled, my mouth muscles hurt from doing this, it must have been more than a week the last time I really truly smiled. I inhaled, the unmistakable smell of paint reached my nostrils. That probably wasn't very healthy, but I liked the smell of it. When I started to get light headed from all the sniffing I left the room. I stopped by Todd's room before heading down for dinner. He was sitting on the floor, boxes were all around him, I frowned. I thought he and Bella unpacked those this morning. "Hey," I said as I knocked. Todd looked up, his eyes were red. I sighed and walked over to him, my arms outstretched. My little brother buried his face in my chest and began to sob uncontrollably. I didn't know what to say, It was so awkward. I resolved in patting his head. "I-I don't want to go to school tommorw!" He cried, his voice muffled by my heavy sweatshirt. "I know, I don't want to go either." I soothed quietly. That wasn't true though, I did want to go to my new school. Anything to get away from this house and all of Todd's crying, and Bella's sadness. I had decided to start over, make things better than they were, and going to a new school was perfect.

Todd and I went down for Breakfast together. I had offered to help Bella, but she refused, oddly determined to do this guardian thing right. I shook it off. I opened the door of the kitchen and stopped, Todd walked straight into me. "Hey, Hun." Bella tried to smile, but I could tell it was hard for her. Especially when she saw Todd still sniffling behind me. I looked over to the kitchen table where Edward sat. He was accompanied by three other people. "Todd…Delilah, I would like you to meet my parents and my sister." Edward was speaking but I didn't really her him. I was too focused on the three beautiful people sitting in front of me. One was blond, and had looks better than Charlie Hunnam. The women on his right was absolutely stunning, her long brown hair flowed down her back, the curls seemed to bounce even when she didn't move. I saved the little girl for last, or at least I thought she was a little girl. She was small, but her face looked only a few years older than myself. They were all so impossibly young, especially Edward's parents.

The blond man stood, and I realized that he was only just a little bit taller than Edward. "Hello, my name is Carlisle. Very nice to finally meet you." He greeted us. I razed my eyebrows skeptically, but Todd said hi back. It was hard not to stare, and I thought Edward was good looking! "Hey," I said slowly, out of the corner of my eye I saw Bella smirk. Edward's mother waved to us pleasantly and told us that her name was Esme. I liked the name Esme. It had a nice ring to it. Edward's sister rose gracefully and seemed to glide next to her father. "Hi!" She said, almost bouncing up and down. "You look just like Bella." she told me, It took a lot not to roll my eyes. I smiled politely, at a loss for words. 'Where are Jasper, Emmett, and Rose?" I heard Edward ask from the table. I walked around Carlisle and Alice toward Bella. "Hunt…camping." Esme gave Alice a look. I grabbed a piece of toast from the plate Bella was carrying. "Aren't you going to stay for breakfast?" Bella asked, I couldn't tell if she was hurt by this or not by my unexpected decision to leave. "Um, I think I'll explore the area a little." I answered, waving the piece of toast around as I talked "Nice meeting you!" I called over my shoulder to Edward's family. I knew if I stayed I would have to endure the whole breakfast in an awkward silence.

"Here, take Todd with you then!" Bella suggested, I watched as she grabbed some more toast off of the plate and shove them in Todd's arms. I smiled at my sister, trying to hide my disappointment. I wished to go off and explore Bella's town by my self. "Sure." I gave another fake smile to everyone else and left the room with Todd behind me. I grabbed my heavy coat, it was cold and drizzly almost everyday in Washington. I sighed as I passed the window, I would have to get used to this weather. "You ready?" I asked as I pulled my beat up converse sneakers on. Todd nodded, his parka and sneakers already on. I wasn't really sure where to go. I didn't know if I should asked Bella if I could take my jeep. I decided not to ask, avoiding Edward and his family. Though I had no proof, I suspected Edward of being a bank robber or something. I just didn't trust him and with his family being in the kitchen it didn't really help. I grabbed my keys a weird chill ran through me as I started the engine. I loved driving, just give me keys and I'll drive any car anywhere. My Jeep was my favorite though, nothing could separate me from my beloved Jeep. As I drove, I thought of how much my mother hated Jeep. The pang of guilt and never ending sadness that I'd forgotten to take with me when I left the house caught up with me, my stomach dropped. That was really the reason I picked Jeep as my car, because my mother hated Jeeps so much. Even my car was a disappointment to my mother. I looked over at Todd and smiled as I saw him looking up through the clear plastic of the top of the Jeep. I looked up briefly, the cloudy sky was a perfect white color, It had stopped drizzling and the unusually green trees cast dark shadows down on the road. For some reason, this made me smile wider. This was such a change of scenery, I loved it all. So much better than sunny Jacksonville. Call me crazy but I think I'll like it here very much.

When we got to civilization, I couldn't decide where to go. I ended up stopping at the local drugstore. Everything was at the drugstore right? Todd looked at me funny. "A drugstore?" I smiled at him. "You can find anything at a drugstore, Todd." I got out, he followed, "this is what you call exploring? I should have stayed home." I snorted. "And did what? Hang out with Edward?" I laughed, the though of hanging out with Edward made me instantly embarrassed. "It's better than being dragged to a drugstore." he replied. I rolled my eyes. "I'll give you five dollars and you can buy some of that blue eyeliner you wanted," I snickered. "It was for a project!" He cried. I laughed some more at that, "sure it was."

………………………………...

The automatic doors opened and I wondered if the drugstore moved and the store that now occupied the space forget to take down the sign. "What is this place?" Todd whispered. "I dunno." I replied, just as mystified. It was a combination of a small diner just like "Luke's Diner" on that show_ Gilmore Girls_, and a gift shop. Nobody was in the gift shop area, they all sat on stools along the counter and at the tables along the windows. Again, I fell in love with the town and it's wonderful diner/gift shop/drugstore. As Todd and I stood in the doorway, everyone eating stopped and looked around at us. It was then that I realized that this town was a small one. I made eye contact with a little girl who had Danish frosting all over her face and smiled. "Can I get a donut?" Todd whispered, I nodded and continued looking around the place. Pictures of sports teams and old street signs covered the walls. A jukebox in the corner was playing a song from the fifties.

I walked up to the register with Todd close behind. Everyone in the diner was still watching us. "Ah, Hi…Can I have a donut and a small coffee please?" I asked the man behind the counter politely. Todd and I didn't have much of a breakfast anyway. "Shouldn't you be in school?" the man asked as he grabbed a heavily frosted donut out of a glass case. "We start tommorw, we just moved in with our sister." The man nodded. "I suspected as much." I raised my eyebrows, how had he known we were coming? Did the whole town know? Is that why everyone was looking at us funny? The man tried to hand me the white bag. But at the counter sat two very big men. They were young from what I could see, one had hair in a long black pony tail, the other man's hair was shorter, but the same color. Sighing, the man behind the counter handed the bag to the young man with the pony tail. The young man turned toward me, when we made eye contact, I couldn't breathe. He was beautiful, but not in the Edward kind of beautiful, but the natural kind. I don't know why, but he kind of reminded me of a forest. I watched his face as his dark eyebrows rose up, creating forehead lines.

"Here." He breathed in a deep husky voice, handing me the white bag. Our hands touched on accident and a hot electric shock ran through me, an electric shock I liked. The air in here suddenly felt humid and I felt my face blush. "Thanks." Finally, he smiled. I smiled back awkwardly. I moved my gaze to his friend next to him, I just couldn't get over how big they were, it was ridiculous! Hi friend elbowed him, but he didn't stop looking at me. I held the bag tight to stop my hands from trembling. I felt my ass sweating uncomfortably under my jeans, that's always where it started. "Here's your coffee little girl." The man said, and again handed it to the man to give to me because he couldn't reach. "Thanks," I muttered again. This time I made sure we didn't touch hands again. "That will be 3.75" the man behind the counter announced. I pulled a five from my bag pocket and handed it to the gorgeous man with the pony tail who handed it to the man behind the counter. "Good luck at school." the man behind the counter said. I nodded and smiled, again looking at the man with the pony tail. He gave me a big smile, I smiled shyly back.

I turned on my heel with Todd right behind me. "You looked like a friggen child molester back there, Jake." I overheard as I walked to the door. "uh-huh." The man called Jake said, sounding as out of it as I felt.


	4. The Jeep and the Rabbit

"What the heck was that?"

"What was what?"

"Back there, in the diner. You and that guy!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Then why are you blushing?"

I wanted to kill him, I really did. "Shut up, Todd." My brother smiled and grabbed the white bag out of my sweating hands. In the back of my mind, I was just a tad bit worried. _You looked like a friggen child molester back there_, the man next to Jake had said. What if he followed us back to Bella's house? I hope not. I had the weirdest feeling when I looked in to his eyes. Like gravity was trying to pull us together. Chills went down my spine. But he was….. gorgeous, so gorgeous it blew my mind out. My brain should probably be splattered all over the parking lot. I folded my arms around myself with my coffee still in hand. "You look kind of sick." Todd commented. "I'm fine," I mumbled, more to myself than to him. I jumped into the Jeep as soon as I saw it. When I started the engine, it wasn't until I was ready to pull out that I realized some dumb ass parked to close next to me. I cursed quietly, "great." I muttered. I wasn't very good at backing up without hitting anything. I guess I'd have to try so I could get out of here before that guy came out of the diner.

I let out a long sigh before I did anything. "Need any help?" came a voice from the backseat. "No," I answered. Todd shook his head. "Your going to crash in to something." he warned. "No I'm not." I sang. "Yes, you are!" my brother sang back. I snickered as his voice cracked. "You know what? Go outside and direct me from the back." I ordered. Todd's eyes winded. "Go! Do you want to get out of here or not?" Todd swallowed. "You'll hit me!" I shook my head. We glared at each other for a minute. "Fine." he agreed. I waited as he hopped out. "Okay!" he called. I nodded and watched him from the plastic window in the back. As I backed up, Todd moved slowly over to the side. His hand signals were frustrating. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I yelled at him as I continued to back up more to the left away from the other car. I thought I was doing pretty well. I watched as Todd's eyes widened in horror. "Stop! Stop!" my brother yelled. My foot was frozen on the peddle. I wanted to lift it and hit the breaks but my whole body wouldn't move! "Stop Delilah!" Todd screeched. I stopped breathing as I heard the sounds of my jeep crashing into another car. "Oh, shit."

………………………………...

I jumped out and ran around back to see the damage and probably a hysterical Todd. As I ran, all I could think of was my parents. How they felt when they were crashing, I shuttered. "Delilah! Delilah! Are you okay?" Todd asked running to me. I hugged him tightly. We walked together to inspect the damage.   
"Aw, I'm so dead!" I cried, If my jeep was ruined I would die. If the other car was ruined, not only would I die, I would die a very poor women. "Oh, my god are you okay?" called someone from the diner. I looked around to the voice. Everyone that was eating flooded out. I groaned and looked at my poor jeep. It's beautiful ass was destroyed. I couldn't even look at the other car. The man named Jake and his friend ran to us. Then I realized, I had hit their car! Oh, shit! Shit, shit. "Are you alright?" Jake asked gently. I looked into his eyes again, then regretted it. "Yeah," I said dreamily. "She was trying to back out, away from that other car!" Todd pointed to the blue Toyota that had been next to me. Jake nodded, He was so tall! My head didn't reach passed his stomach. The other man was slightly shorter, but still tall. "I'm so dead!" I buried my face in my hands. "Well, you didn't really do anything to the Rabbit." I heard a smile in Jake's voice. I looked him in the eyes. I'm sure I didn't look so hot right now, but whatever this was my car! My pride and joy.

"That's great, but, my car!" I pointed at it hopelessly. I watched as the man named Jake thought for a minute, not that I expected him to say anything helpful. "I can fix that," he said thoughtfully. "What?" Jake smiled at me sweetly, my heart melted. "I can do it free too, a kid your age probably couldn't afford anything else." I sighed, "I'll call Bella." Todd whispered. Jake smiled at me again. "Wait, what?" I guess this is what it's like to be in shock. This just proves what a terrible person I am. I'm more sad for my car than my parents. "Hold on. First of all I think we should introduce ourselves, I'm Jacob Black and this is my buddy Quil Ateara." I smiled at them, a little weirded out, but thankful that a random hot guy just offered to fix my Jeep for free. "Delilah Dwyer, that's my little brother over there, his name is Todd." My brother paced around my car while he talked on his cell phone, I sighed, a little embarrassed. I watched as a flicker of recognition flashed across Jacob's face. "Wait a minute." Jacob's face turned very serious. "You're not related to Bella Swan are you?" I raised my eyebrows. This was a small town.

"Bella Cullen." I corrected, Jacob grimaced. "She's my older sister." Jake nodded, "then I'd be _very_ happy to fix your car for you, if you'd let me."


	5. Purple is a Good Color

Imagine this, it's 40 degrees colder than you're used to and you are having one of the most awkward conversations of your life in a parking lot. I've been there, it's not fun. Bella finally arrived with Edward in tow at record time. For this, I was thankful. Bella rushed over to me and Todd and hugged us both insanely tight. "Are you two alright?" she asked, panicked. For some unexplainable reason, I wanted to tell her again that it was my fault that Renee and Phil were gone, but I didn't. I let her hug me a thousand times and embarrass me. "I'm okay! It was stupid." I told her over and over. "She was stupid, she was stupid." Todd said over and over. I rolled my eyes. After a minute, my mother turned to 'Jacob Black and his buddy Quil Ateara.' "This is so weird." she said, Jake laughed, breaking the tension. "It's nice to see you too, Bells." he said in his deep voice, my heart melted. I felt the blood rush into my cheeks. I felt like such an idiot, he's way too old for me. "Jacob, Quil." I looked over to see Edward just behind Todd, his big hand on Todd's little shoulder. Edward nodded at the two men politely.

Bella moved slowly towards Jacob and Quil, her back hunching. I raised an eyebrow. My sister wrapped her arms around each of them for a fraction of a second and stepped back about ten steps, like they smelled like a wet dog or something. "Um…." I was at a loss for words, "your car…" Jacob said smiling. "Yes." Bella sighed, "that sucks." 'I offered to fix it for her….for free." He nodded. "But I can't let you just do it for free! It needs parts…and a paint job! That costs a lot." I shook my head, he was crazy…but so pretty. "She's right, Jake, it's ridiculous." Jake laughed. "Of coarse it isn't! I hadn't been able to fix anything for a while. I'm doing a favor for good people." I smiled at him, he smiled down at me. "Half?" I asked patiently, Jacob thought for a moment. "Fine," I didn't have any money of my own, I'd have to get a job. "Do you think Sam can lend us his truck?" I heard Quil asked quietly. "Just because it's ass is messed up doesn't mean we can't drive it back." Jacob said, frowning. Bella nodded, "are you sure you want to do this Jake? We can always just take it to a mechanic-" "No, no. They'll rip you off. Besides, wasn't I your old mechanic?" my sister shook her head smiling. "The best."

I felt my heart break in two when I finally had to hand over my keys to an almost perfect stranger. "Make sure you treat her okay." I said sadly as I dropped the keys into Jacob's big right hand. Jake chuckled, "She'll be alright. You can visit her whenever you want. Bella knows where to find me." I nodded and emptied out the crap from the front seat and the back seat. Jake smiled at us all before he drove off with the jeep, Quil followed close behind in Jake's Rabbit. "Nice guy, isn't he?" Bella looked down at me, her perfect eyebrows raised. I sighed, I really wanted to tell her about the weird attraction I had to Jake, the attraction I couldn't even explain to myself. I didn't, it seemed almost impossible to lie to her, and yet, I sort of lied all the time. "yeah, whatever."

………………………………...

I went to bed that night thinking all about my poor Jeep in a strange garage. I also thought about Jacob Black. I just couldn't get him out of my head. I closed my eyes with a mental picture of him in my brain. Today's event wiped the idea of a new school completely out of my mind, it finally hit me when I woke up the next morning.

I woke without opening my eyes, I could feel the eye crust that usually forms around my eyes when I sleep. I reached my hand to my face so I could wipe the uncomfortable grease from my nose and forehead. I yawned and stretched, then my stomach exploded in nervousness. School started in two hours. I jumped up and practically ran to the shower. I hadn't planned on anything to wear! I sighed and jumped into the still very cold shower. When the water beat down on me almost painfully I thought of my mother and father. Usually this time today they'd be down eating breakfast and whispering disgusting lovey-dovey words to each other. I grimaced, I always hated when they did that in front of me. I couldn't tell if I was crying or not while I washed my hair, I didn't think I was. I tried crying for my parents, but I never could. Before they died, I cried all the time. Maybe I ran out of tears before I really needed them.

I hopped out of the shower quickly, almost slipping on the water that had leaked out while I was in the tub. I inspected my fat body quickly in the mirror before I left the bathroom. Turning out the light and clutching my damp towel, I looked around the empty hallway. I seemed like the whole house was disserted. I walked to the other door across from where I was standing. This was Todd's room. Todd and I shared a hallway upstairs. Edward and Bella slept downstairs in the room next to the kitchen. I knocked hesitantly on my brother's door. Usually, he was up before me. I opened the door. "Hey, Kid. it's time to get up for school." I whispered. The lump of covers on the bed moved a bit, then groaned. I walked over to the bed, kicking the random objects the Todd had unpacked out of the way. I punched the lump on the bed. "Todd, get up!" I said, louder than before. "Leave me alone!" Todd cried. I rolled my eyes. "You need to take a shower." Todd groaned again. "Okay, just get your ass out and leave me alone!" I sighed, "whatever, Todd, just don't come crying to me later when you get laughed at behind your back because you're so disgusting." Todd reached a hand out and tried t hit me, I moved back out of the room quickly, closing the door. He was so grumpy, I wonder where he got it from.

I entered my room again and slammed the door shut, hoping I didn't wake Bella and Edward if they were still sleeping. I shook my head as I thought what a weird couple they were. They always seemed perfect, it blew my mind. No couple I knew acted like they do. I sat down on my bed trying to figure out an outfit that didn't classify me a freak. I decided on a black tee-shirt that I recently purchased at the mall with my mother and old knee high jeans. I decided that I'd save the good stuff until the people of my new high school knew who I really was, I'd play it safe for the next week. I pulled on my ancient black converse sneaker and left my room pulling my bag over my shoulders. I stopped in the bathroom quickly to brush my teeth and glob on a hand full of hair gel onto my head so my hair won't lay flat when it dried. Before I placed my black rimmed glasses on my face I applied some purple eyeliner and mascara. I was done. It wasn't until I was downstairs and grabbing all of my signed papers and supplies to throw in my bag that I realized that Todd still wasn't ready.

I thundered up the stairs, again, hoping that I didn't wake Bella and Edward. I knocked on Todd's door. "Come on! it's time to go to school!" I heard a rustle behind the door. "I'm not going! I hate this!" I rolled my eyes and opened the door. "Come on, Todd, please. Try school for a day." I looked around the room for my brother. He was half dressed, like he just decided to screw the whole thing. "I really don't want to." I sighed, "You'll make new friends, and you'll probably have better teachers here than you had at home! You can do the math thing!" He shook his head, his eyes filling up with tears. "I hate it here!" He said quietly, his voice cracking. I closed my eyes for a minute, it was my fault that he was crying. My parents died because of me. "Please, Todd, just try a day. If you don't like it, I'll let you play hokey for the rest of the year." Todd shook his head, smiling a little. "You wouldn't do that." I sighed again. "Fine, then. Don't go." Todd looked at me, wiping his tears away. "What?" I smiled at him, "don't go, skip." "I can do that." I knew he didn't have the guts. "Are you going or staying?" I backed away to the door. "Give me a minute." I smiled and closed the door. When I turned I almost crashed into Bella. "Arg!" I covered my mouth before I could let out a real scream. "I'm sorry!" My sister covered her mouth too. "I didn't mean to scare you, I was just making sure everything was alright." I nodded, I got scared easily. "It's okay." Bella stood there awkwardly. "Well….is everything alright?" I smiled and laughed, "yeah, I think so." 


	6. Lucky Duck

I stared up at the high school I would be attending for the next three years and almost threw up.

"Ew." I said under my breath, I heard Bella chuckle. Her ears were like a bat's, I swear.

"It's not that bad." she commented, her arm wrapped around my shoulders.

"I remember when I moved to a new school, it turned out pretty good for me." I heard the smile in her voice and sighed.

"Can I be home schooled?" I said, as I looked again at the school and the stupid prep kids laughing and talking.

"No." I looked my sister in the eyes, which sent shivers down my spine.

"Please?" Bella smiled her perfect, beautiful smile.

"No. You'll be late, get going." I gave her a dirty look and left her side without another word. I walked slowly without looking back, I even vaguely heard Bella telling me to have a nice day. I flipped my bangs away from my face and looked down at the schedule that Bella had picked up for me yesterday.

"Can you move, freak?" I looked up startled, she was tall, unnaturally blond, and stupid looking. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I can….but I really don't want to," I smiled pleasantly up at her and continued looking at my schedule. I heard people around me starting to laugh and I tried not to look _too_ happy about it.

"Okay, bitch." she was smiling cruelly at me when I looked up again.

"Excuse me?" I said, acting as If I hadn't heard her.

"Nothing," she cocked her head to the side, kind of in the curious dog way. She started to walk around me. I didn't want to look at the people around us who were sticking around to see what I would say.

"Okay, whore." I started to walk in the opposite direction of the blond girl as I heard laughter again, but then I realized that I was going in the wrong way. I sighed, I didn't want to turn back around, then my dramatic exit would be for nothing. I ended up trying to make a little circle around the area I was just in. I found myself near some trees and a water fountain. Maybe I should ask directions.

"Um….hi." I went up to a kid in jeans and a cool tee-shirt. He looked nice. He smiled, revealing nice straight teeth. I smiled up at him, he wasn't that much taller than me, but tall enough. "Hi." he was hesitant.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked stupidly. He laughed nervously.

"Are you serious?" he asked, confused. I gave him a look. He nodded.

"I'm sorry. You must be new here." I rolled my eyes.

"We are in the middle of everything." he explained, his arms wide apart from each other as if saying this was obvious. I watched as his face as he talked and noticed that he had a little bit of a twitch.

"In the middle of everything," I frowned and looked around me, unconsciously flipping my hair out of my eyes. As I watched, I noticed that we were standing on a stone square.

"Wow, we are in the middle of everything." He nodded patiently. He twitched again.

"My name is Danny." He held out a hand and I shook it firmly.

"Delilah."

"Like the song?"

"No." he laughed at my expression.

"That's good. I hate that song anyway." It was my turn to laugh. I really and truly despised that song. Renee told me I was named Delilah after my father's mother, I think she might have grown up on a farm or something because you usually only hear that name unless you're watching TV, but I wouldn't know, I've never met Phil's mother.

"So, Danny, I'm sorry. I have to ask. Are you by any chance…Gay?"

"Yeah, I think so.

"This, I think, is going to be a beautiful friendship."

………………………………...

The first day of school blew by fast. I kind of wished that it lasted a little longer, but I knew when I spent more time there I wouldn't feel that way anymore. I shared four classes with my new friend, Danny, that was nice. He was nice, I think he must be the most patient person on this earth too. He stuck with me until the end of the day, he even walked me to the classes that he wasn't in, to make sure I didn't get lost. All though school distracted me from that terrible knot in my stomach from pain and guilt, I still couldn't forget about Jacob Black. I thought about visiting him frequently. I also knew he was disgustingly older than me and that I shouldn't be thinking of him the way I was thinking about him, but I was.

I called Jackie later that night and told her all about Danny and the great things he said, and the great things he did for me.

"Oh, yeah, did I tell you he was gay?

"No!"

"Well, he is."

"Lucky duck."


	7. Edward

"We have to tell them!"

"Yes, Darling, I know."

"But what will they think of us?"

"I don't know." Bella sighed, shaking her head wearily. I highly doubted that either children would believe us, especially Delilah.

"They're bound to notice sometime! Us not sleeping at night, or peeing!" Bella gasped.

"Edward! We don't even pee!" I almost laughed, but I didn't for fear of upsetting my wife even more.

"Everything will work out"

"You always say that! How do you know?" She snapped as she paced around our bedroom. I sat on the bed helplessly.

"I know all." I tried to smile. Bella rolled her eyes, I patted the spot next to me. Bella was next to me in a flash.

"How do you know?" her expression softened when I looked deeply into her eyes. For a moment I missed being able to 'dazzle' her, as she put it. I cupped my right-hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead softly.

"I always know." This time my smile was real. Bella's face brightened a fraction. As I rose from my position on the bed Bella grabbed my hand.

"I'm sorry I've been so uptight lately. It's just that…" I placed a finger on her perfect lips.

"I know."

………………………………...

I walked slowly up the stairs of the house. I smiled as I heard Delilah and Todd's conversation, and their thoughts. When the children arrived, I had to get used to not hearing complete silence every time I entered the house. I've been so used to the peace and quiet of my Bella. As I neared Todd's bedroom door I thought of the look of discomfort on Delilah's face every time she looked at me. I never thought to correct her image of me before, but now it was a necessity if she were to live here and know the secret I've been carrying for almost 100 years. I knocked lightly on the door.

"The door's open." Todd called, my smile broadened at the surprised looks on their faces.

"Hello" I nodded, Delilah eyed me suspiciously. _Please, no, ew. I don't like you. Go away, go away. _Delilah's thoughts were comical to me. _**Oh, it's Edward. That's nice, I wonder what he wants**_Todd was a nice boy, I think I will like having him around very much. I just wish Delilah would like me the same.

"I've, ah, come to talk to Delilah. If that's alright." _No, it's not alright!_ I looked her straight in the eyes, the eyes that reminded me so much of Bella's when she was human. I tried not to smile, again. Delilah got up from the floor next to Todd. _Jesus Christ, this is going to be awkward. _Tell me about it. I let Delilah pass down the stairs in front of me, 'Ladies first' my father always said.

"So…what do you want to talk about?" I frowned, I haven't actually thought of anything specific to say. I followed as Delilah walked pass my piano and walked outside to sit down on the front steps, I sat too.

"I um…..I wanted to know how everything is going." I said lamely, Ugh! This was going to be so hard. I hated talking to teenagers. Delilah raised her eyebrows.

"Why?" I shrugged, but I just had to ask.

"Why do you hate me so?" I burst out, I mean she seriously thought I was rapist or something, which was just down right insulting. To my surprise, Delilah smiled.

"I don't hate you!… I just strongly dislike you." _Sort of. _I heard Bella laughing from inside the house. If I were human, my face would have been beat red.

"But why?" Delilah sighed, blood rushed to her face. I didn't mean to make her uncomfortable! This was going all wrong.

"I don't know, you're…..weird. It's awkward to talk to you, Plus, you never made an extra effort to talk to _me." _Well, that's true. I looked down at my hands embarrassed. After a while I sighed.

"I'm sorry." Delilah looked away.

"It's okay." _I guess_. I grimaced.

………………………………...

After my painful talk with Edward and three old recordings of _Family Guy, _I finally struck up the courage to ask Bella if she could drive me to visit my Jeep. When I asked, I got the strange urge to tell her the real reason I wanted to go, even if it sounded perverted. I didn't. Bella gave me a knowing look.

"Yes, of course. I'll just have to call." Ugh, she made it out as if I were going to a friend's house for a 'play-date'. Like I was 5 years old or something! Whatever, I was going to visit my Jeep, to make sure it wasn't in a worse condition than I left it in.

The ride over to Jacob's house was difficult for me, I didn't know why. I think it had to do with being so close to Bella alone. There was something about her that wasn't right to me, just slightly off. I hadn't really noticed it until I actually lived with her for a while. I think it was her eyes, they way they always made me want to tell the truth, Edward's were the same, but with Bella it was more intense. It creped me out a bit. As we passed through Forks I finally asked Bella exactly where Jacob lived.

"Where does Jacob live?" Bella took her eyes off the road to look at me, it made me nervous that she was doing this but I let it go.

"It's just a few minutes away, La Push."

"How do you and him know each other?"

"Our father's were best friends, still are I think."

"Oh."

"Do you guys still talk?"

"We run into each other….now and then." We stopped talking and I listened to an oldies song that was playing on the radio, finally Bella said.

"We were best friends a long time ago." I looked over at my sister, she was clutching the steering wheel tightly.

"What happened?" Bella relaxed and smiled at me lovingly.

"It doesn't matter… it's ancient history now. Have a good time." I looked around bewilderedly. Bella's car was parked in front of a small house, a truck was parked in the driveway.

"You're not coming?" I asked, a little scared. Bella shrugged.

"Maybe I'll say hi for a minute," She turned off the engine smoothly, more smoothly than I could have. I jumped out but she was already around the car.

"What the?" Bella smiled at me, I blew it off. We walked slowly together to the front door but before I could knock I heard a deep voice from behind.

" Jesus, I thought you two would never come!"


	8. The Garage

**Hey, guys. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I hope you are all happy with this chapter. I like reviews a lot, they sometimes can be really helpful. If you've got something to say just say it. :**

I looked around Jacob Black's small garage silently while him and Bella made small talk. His friends meant a lot to him, I could see that from all of the pictures on the walls. He had neon signs all over the place too, that read things like, "OPEN" and "THE WORLDS BEST COFFEE." I thought that was pretty cool. I noticed that Jacob kept looking at me from the corner of his eye, I looked down at my bright pink shoelaces uncomfortably. Maybe I shouldn't have come.

"Why don't you two sit down?" He gestured to one of the stools with crap all over it.

"Oh, don't mind that." chuckling at some forgotten joke, Jake rushed forward and grabbed the messy stack of burnt up papers from the stools and table.

"Just my bills." I smiled and almost laughed but stopped at the sight of Bella's face.

"Just kidding." Jake shifted from toe to toe awkwardly.

"My Jeep looks good." I commented happily. Jacob smiled, proud.

"It should be done soon, but I noticed that you need an oil change." I nodded, usually Phil took my car in for oil changes and such, I didn't know how to do any of that stuff. I looked over at Bella, who had a pained look on her face.

"I, uh, have to go…..do some errands." Bella quickly stood up, she looked like she was going to cry or something. I stood too, concerned.

"Are you okay?…" Bella gave me a strained smile.

"Yes, I just really need to get this done, it's eating my mind." Raising my eyebrows at her expression I turned to Jacob.

"Is it really that bad? I think I'm doing pretty well." What? He was talking to Bella. I think that they're both on drugs.

"No, Jake, no. I just really have to go." Jake looked sadly down at his hands, I felt like crying but I didn't. I hated crying.

"Delilah can stay for a while if she wants." Jake suggested after a long awkward pause. My sister looked at Jake with her head cocked to the left, like she was deep in thought. She then smiled understandingly at her old friend.

"Only if she wants too." they both turned to me, I shrugged.

"Um….yeah, I'll hang around for a bit." Ugh, this was so wrong. My body didn't pay any attention to what my head said and I sat back down. Bella kissed my forehead then kind of blew in my ear.

"What the?"

"Be good." she said, laughing.

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Bella just laughed and waved as she walked out of the garage. Jacob and I were silent for a while and he continued to work on my car. I just watched him, I could feel a slight smile on my face.

"How was your first day of school?" His voice made me jump and for a minute I forgot how to speak.

"Pretty good I guess." I thought it would sound like I was feeling sorry for myself if I said that everyone I met, besides Danny, were assholes. It was my turn to ass a question.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I had to ask. But I was worried that it was too much of a personal question. Jacob started laughing. I liked when he laughed, it sent shivers down my spine.

"No, we broke up a while ago." That made me a little bit happier, which was disgusting.

"I'm sorry,"

"It's alright. We weren't right for each other." I nodded, I knew how that was. Sometimes I used to worry that Renee and Phil weren't right for each other anymore.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I smiled, last year I did. His name was Elliot and he hit me a lot, I broke it off.

"No. We weren't right for each other." Jake nodded sadly. I didn't understand.

"I'm sorry my sister is such a bitch to you." I could tell that it was her fault that their relationship didn't really work out. Jake laughed again, his face coming back to life again. I was glad.

"Your sister isn't a bitch, that's just how she is." I started laughing too. I believed that. After another comfortable silence I asked softly,

"What happened?" Jake stopped what he was doing and looked at me, his chocolate brown eyes seemed to soften as he gazed upon me.

"We just weren't right for each other. She wanted something different than I did." he whispered. I understood. He was in love with my sister but she wasn't in love with him.


	9. Doug

"Do you like dogs?" I raised my eyebrows, I had a feeling that only Jacob Black would make me forget what I was going to say next.

"Yeah, they're okay." Jake nodded and stood up, I was again shocked at how tall he was. He motioned for me to follow him and I did. Jake led me around his backyard, I noticed that there was an old rusty swing set a few feet away from the edge of where the green forest began. I smiled and continued walking. We went up the small porch steps and Jacob stopped to let me pass into the house first. I noticed that the glass door had been left open, I guess Jake didn't mind the could very much. I pushed open the light screen door and walked into the house. I inhaled and smiled again, the smell of his house, I couldn't explain it. I just loved it, it smelt like home, whatever that means.

"They're just in here." said Jakes voice, I hadn't realized that Jacob had left me to go into another room. I looked around the living room one more time. His house looked like it had been decorated in the 70's. If he had a girlfriend, I bet she would have attacked this place the second he moved in. The couch was an okay color, it didn't match anything, neither did the arm chair beside the coffee table but I loved it all anyway. I walked slowly through the kitchen on my way to what I supposed was Jake's bedroom, taking in anything and everything. He seriously needed a dishwasher. I poked my head in the doorframe and I saw Jacob kneeling down on the right side of the king sized mattress. He seemed to be whispering to someone.

"They don't bite." Jake turn to me with a kind smile on his face, which I returned shyly and moved over to his side and kneeled in the same position with my head cocked to the side. A small mini pincher puppy was sitting in a card bored box with some blankets and a little monkey stuffed animal. I frowned, I felt kind of embarrassed at myself because I couldn't stop my heart melting as I looked at the creature.

"She's beautiful. What's her name?"

"Doug."

"Doug?"

"Doug."

"Okay." Jake laughed, I smiled and giggled too.

"You can hold her if you like." I watched as Jacob gently lifted her up into his big arms and placed the puppy in my arms. I kissed her head.

"I found her in a garbage bin in Seattle." I met his gaze.

"Someone just left her alone? That's terrible!" Jake grimaced.

"She's strong, though, you wouldn't know just looking at her now. She's being lazy." I smiled and the puppy laid her head on my shoulder, yawning. Just looking at her made me want to sleep too. Jake, Doug, and I sat there on the floor for a while in a peaceful silence. A silence that didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Being here with Jake was just what I needed.

………………………………...

I tapped my pencil impatiently as I looked down at my half done math test, I sighed, the pit of my stomach seemed to drop. The rustle of papers and people walking passed me made me anxious. I knew I was the last one with a test without even looking around.

"How many people still have a test?" I raised my hand without even looking up from my paper. The bell would ring soon…….the bell wrung and my classmates were practically running to the door. I stayed at my seat. My teacher walked over.

"Delilah." I looked up, I was about to cry. This was a major test, a test that I really needed a good grade on.

"Can I stay after on Wednesday?" My teacher grimaced and took my test away.

"Is that a yes?"

"Leave."

"Yes or no."

"Yes, now get out. You'll miss your bus." I smiled gratefully at her.

………………………………...

I met up with Danny after I had all my stuff together. We didn't take a bus. I complained a lot, but Danny told me that we'd burn calories, I didn't fight him on it anymore.

"Are you ever going to tell your dad that you're gay?'

"No."

"Come on, Danny,"

"You don't know my dad, he's…he's……vicious." I smiled.

"He can't be _that_ bad!" Danny nodded his head sadly.

"You know what? let's not talk about it anymore. You'll tell him when you're ready."

"Are you going over Jacob's house tonight?" I nodded, visiting Jake and Doug became somewhat of a routine over the last month.

"But first, my sister and her husband want to have a '_family_ meeting.'" Danny laughed at my sarcasm.

"But you'll meet up with me tomorrow so we can study." I nodded and started to walk down the drive to Bella's house, pausing to kiss Danny's cheek. He rolled his eyes.

"Your lips are too dry." I flipped him off. 

"I love you too." We laughed and I started walking down the driveway again.


	10. Vampire

When I stepped quiet house my stomach twisted into something close to fear. I dropped my bag on the floor and started running toward the kitchen feverously. I pushed open the door and looked around, panicked. My sister was trying desperately to put out a blazing fire that had erupted on the stove.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yelled I rushed over to her, her face was confused.

"I don't know! What did I do wrong?" I looked at her like she was stupid.

"Um, I don't know! Maybe you started a fire that could burn the whole fucking house down!"

"Quick! Get outside while I get the fire extinguisher." She ran, which was surprisingly fast. I stood there next to the burning stove in shock for a moment. In seconds, my sister was back as fast as she came with the extinguisher, holding it like a baby, it seemed weightless in her arms.

"What are you still doing here? Get out!" I looked at her wide-eyed for a moment.

"Isn't that heavy?" I asked stupidly. Bella looked down, neither of us concerned with the fire on the stove.

"Aw, crap." she said.

"Aren't you going to put that out?" I gestured to the stove.

"Yeah, do you know how to work this?" I raised my eyebrows.

"No." I knew she was on crack

"I'll just wing it." She short of smiled and squeezed the handles of the extinguisher, again, looking as if it were just a little piece of wire.

"How did you do that?" I yelled over whoosh of the extinguisher.

"Do what?" She asked, my ears popped in the dead silence.

"That." I pointed to the now bent handle of the extinguisher. Bella sighed.

"I have super strength." She said this completely serious without even a hint of a smile, almost kind of apologetic, this was just too fucking ridiculous. But I kept my profanities to myself.

"Okay." I agreed with her because my last boyfriend always hit me more when he was high.

"Edward's going to kill me." She said quietly. I nodded.

"Was your super strength apart of the meeting that you and Edward called for?" I decided to go along with it, then wait until she was thinking clearly to yell at her for being an irresponsible guardian to my brother. He needed her more than I did. Bella nodded.

"We should probably clean this white stuff up." I pointed to the mess that was the stove, it looked atrocious.

"Don't worry about it, Hun, I'll do it." I shook my head.

"No, no, no, let me do it. It will only take, like five seconds." She turned her back, observing the wreck.

"Yeaah, so is super speed part of the package too?" I joked. Bella turned to me and simply said.

"Yes."

………………………………...

We all sat around the kitchen table, Todd, Edward, Bella, and I. Bella and Edward kept on giving each other funny looks. I just wanted them to get out with it so I could call child services.

"So….are you guys drug dealers, or psycho or something? Because, you know, I always suspected something." They didn't even laugh.

"You remember the episode we had today with the fire extinguisher…how I cleaned up so fast and stuff."

"Yeah."

"Do you know why I was able to do that so fast?"

"No."

"We're vampires." Edward said lamely. I laughed but Todd didn't.

"That's creative."

"We're not making it up, Honey." Bella said softly. I looked at both my guardians each in the eyes, looking for something, a flicker of a smile, something!

"They're not making this up, Delilah." Todd whispered. I looked at him, surprised. Usually he was the spec tic.

"I saw you dancing yesterday, in the sun, I'm sorry." Said Todd apologetically to Bella and Edward. They both smiled at him affectionately.

"You were kissing and glittering but I couldn't look away. And then you mentioned hunting animals and stuff." Edward looked in a trance, Bella looked proud.

"I didn't hear you at all." Edward said absently.

"What?" I asked.

"I can hear you….In your mind." Edward explained quickly, "but I was probably too absorbed in what I was doing that I didn't hear you. I try to do that, by the way, to give you privacy."

"wait…what?" I almost shouted.

"You can read minds?" Edward nodded solemnly.

"What's that all about? First you tell me that you're a vampire, now you are telepathic?"

"I can prove that." Edward nodded, he seemed nervous.

"What am I thinking?" He should have turned red by now. Edward looked down, embarrassed.

"This is so…..fucked up." he ended the sentence like it was dirty, but I was too shocked to notice.

I felt like throwing up. We all sat there in silence.

"So do you guys drink blood and stuff?" They both smiled, relieved.

"We hunt animals instead of people." I nodded, I didn't feel like being eaten today.

"I don't think anyone would want to be eaten at all." Edward said absently, I looked up into is face, this is going to suck.

"I know." How do you read minds?

"My father has a theory." He proceeded to tell the whole story from the beginning. I sat and listened, and by the end of Edward's story I began to respect him a little more, I was glad Bella wasn't high.

"It is essential that you know what we are, I always felt like I was lying to you all the time." said my sister sadly.

"What's your power?" Todd asked her, she smiled.

"I can get people to tell me the truth." I raised my eyebrows, that explained why I wanted to tell her about Renee and Phil's death and how I felt about Jake. But how come I just came _close_ to telling her?

"You only came close because her power doesn't work on you." I would have to get used to this. Edward smiled. Bella and Todd looked confused.

"We think it is because you are family. I can't hear Bella's thoughts, though, we think it is because she is my 'soul mate' so to speak." I nodded. But if Edward can hear my thoughts, then he knows _all_ of my secrets, I felt like crying, I didn't.

"I don't tell other people's secrets." Edward informed us. I smiled, gratefully.

"Do you guys ever pee? I mean, you never have to go in the mornings and at night, it was a bit strange." Todd wrinkled his nose

"I told you they noticed!" Bella said to Edward angrily.

"We don't sleep…or '_pee'" _I smiled.

"Then, why do you have a bed?" I looked at Todd incredulously. Bella and Edward exchanged looks of discomfort.

"Are you serious? So they can do-" Bella cut me off

"So we can pretend that we sleep at night, just in case we have other company." she said quickly.

"Oh, that makes sense." Bella patted Todd's hand. I think he was adopted, Edward winked at me.

**All of your comments are very nice, Thank you!**


	11. Anxious

I looked up at the blinding sun with my eyes squinted. It was the first time I've seen the sun in a month, and it wasn't until then that I realized how bright it was. I took a sip of the coke can in my hand and thought about Jacob. I think he likes me visiting him because every time I go over, he finds little problems that nobody else would notice about my car. He always insists that he fix it. I like to tease him. I like the fact that he likes my visits, because I like them too. I looked down at the soda, I had no idea why I was drinking it anyway, I hate coke.

I made my way back to Bella's house and dumped the soda in the sink, now that the vampirism thing was out in the open, Bella and Edward seemed much more at ease with us. For example, they would use their super speed for just going into the other room or they would help cool down my coffee in the mornings by breathing on it "by accident." Another thing I noticed is that Edward's family visited more often than they used to, which I didn't mind very much because they all liked to help me with my history homework. Today, though, I saw everyone at least four times in the last 2 hours. My cell phone rang while I was talking to Emmett about the best and the worst movies in the last four years.

"Guess who just asked me out!" Um, you get asked out like everyday, how should I know?

"Um……Morgan Freeman." She loved that movie _The Bucket List_ even though she denies it anytime someone brings it up. I like to mess around with her head. I love that movie too.

"Haha….no. Elliot Jameson!"

"…………………..are you kidding?" another long pause, my stomach exploded, I felt like throwing up.

"No! I'm so happy! You know I've been crushing on him the longest time."

"I thought you were kidding with me." I never told her about our relationship because I knew she liked him and I wouldn't know what to say to her afterwards.

"Please don't go out with him." I whispered. I was in the hallway in between the kitchen and the living room. Even without vampire hearing, everyone could probably hear me.

"What?"

"I said, don't go out with him." Jackie laughed nervously, she thought I was joking around or something.

"What are you saying? You should be happy for me!" I would be if I didn't know the _real_ him. She went on ranting.

"Just because you're stuck in Washington being miserable doesn't mean everyone else should be miserable too." Huh?

"Believe me, Jackie, even if, on top of everything else, I were too shoot myself in the foot, have my head set on fire, and have to baby-sit 12 kids, I wouldn't try to take away your happiness!" I shook my head, speaking louder and louder so the whole world could hear me.

"Then why do you care if I go out with him or not?" My face turned red, I couldn't do it. I felt weak.

"Because he hit me." Jackie didn't talk, whole house was quiet. I wanted to run away.

"He hit you? When? That can't be true, I don't believe you."

"You have too, Jackie! Please, he's not good for you."

"I can't believe you would lie to me!"

"I'm not lying!" my eyes felt hot.

"You guys weren't even friends. You're just jealous" Of what?

"We dated." I said flatly.

"-But I didn't want to tell you because you liked him so much, and I wanted to break up with him so bad, but I couldn't." Jackie didn't say anything, I continued.

" -the first time it happened, we were kissing and he got really rough with me and I wanted him to stop before…I don't know, he hit me when I tried to get him off me. He drank a lot that night so I let it go….but then he started doing it when he was sober too, so I broke up with him." I think she hung up on me, which made me feel stupid because I knew that everyone in the house was listening.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I think she forgives me, but I can't tell.

"I didn't want to tell anyone, it was embarrassing that I didn't see it before." I touched my eyes with the tips of my fingers lightly, they were dry.

"I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell me," I grimaced, she didn't understand.

"It's okay, but now everything is out in the open? Can I tell you something else you might not want to hear?" I tried to change the subject desperately.

"Is it worse than your problems?"

"It might not be, but I think it will be a shock."

"What is it?"

"I let you win when we were playing _Guitar Hero _way back when." I sort of smiled, I wanted to forget Elliot.

"You suck."

"I know."

………………………………...

I hung up with Jackie a while later, she asked how I was copping, I said I was fine but she didn't believe me. I walked past the living room, afraid that Bella would be sitting there waiting for us to have 'girl talk' or something stupid and equally awkward. Instead of Bella sitting in the living room, I found Edward's mother and his brother Emmett. I smiled at them both politely and grabbed my wallet. I planned to go visit Jake. I needed his quiet calm. I entered the kitchen to find Bella, Edward, and Jasper sitting at the kitchen table.

"Can I borrow your car?" I smiled, like everything was all right. I felt jumpy and sick to my stomach. I needed Jacob.

"Yeah, Hun, I'll get the keys." Bella rose from her seat. Of coarse she leaves me with Dr. Phil and his crazy hot brother.

"Would you like to talk about it." asked Edward. No!

"No." I tried to say it polity out loud, for Jasper's sake. Edward nodded his head. Jasper looked worse than I felt, his hands shook slightly.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Are _you _okay?" he replied. All of the sudden I felt totally at ease, Elliot and my parents were forgotten and I felt 100 hundred pounds lighter. Jasper stopped shaking and relaxed his shoulders slightly.

"Your anxiety could give you a heart attack." he said a little hoarsely. I nodded.

"Thanks." I said softly.

"It will only relive you until you leave the house, unfortunately" he answered solemnly.

"Still, thank you." I nodded, then finally he smiled at me peacefully.

"Here," I jumped. Bella was behind me with the keys. I smiled at her without looking her in the eyes. I wanted to tell her everything right then and there about my parents and my old boyfriend, now I knew why, I fought it. Don't tell her! I told Edward in my mind. She'll hate me for it.


	12. Imprinted

I felt stupid as I stood on Jacob's doorstep in the dark. After I wrung the bell, I seriously considered turning away but Doug started barking like those crazy ass robots in _War of the Worlds_ were attacking the house and I knew I would have to go inside.

"Shut Up, Doug, it's just the doorbell." I almost smiled but I was too anxious, Jasper was right. When the door opened Jacob's enormous shadow loomed over me.

"Delilah!" he seemed happy to see me. My face hurt and I realized it was because I was frowning too hard, which I haven't done since Elliot first hit me. My eyes felt hot, tears finally spilled over onto my face. I felt my eye makeup smudging uncomfortably.

"I….I…" I sobbed. I wanted to tell him why I was crying, he seemed the only person I could share everything with without judgment. Immediately he pulled me into a tight hug, which wasn't too bone crushing and not too gentle. It felt right. We seemed to stay like that for hours, with me crying into his stomach like a little girl before he lead me into the house. Doug jumped up and down around us, excited I was here, wanting someone to play with.

"Here, sit down." He pulled out a chair from the small table and pushed me gently down.

"What's going on?" I don't think he could help not asking. I took a minute for me to control myself, it felt so good to finally be able to cry, but my chest hurt so much, I think my heart exploded. I sniffed unattractively.

"Everything." I felt like one of those girls who told their problems to anyone who'd listen so people would pity them.

"Could you…I don't know, be a little bit more specific?" I gave a nervous laugh, my nose felt stuffy, I wanted a tissue. Jacob grabbed a paper towel from his small counter and handed it to me.

"Thanks." I said thickly, blowing into it loudly.

"That was impressive, like a years worth of snot." I snorted and started laughing, whipping tears from my eyes.

"What's the matter? Why were you crying." his expressive brown eyes looked into mine and I knew at that moment that I loved him, which is corny, I know, but still,

"I killed my parents, and my ex-boyfriend hit me, and my sister and her husband are vampires!" I blurted out, at the moment I didn't care what he knew about me, just as long as I was with him always.

"That's heavy." I sniffed again, I felt the thick snot glob down my throat. I don't think he noticed the part about the vampire couple living in the next town over.

"Yeah," I said.

"That is a ridiculous amount of bad problems,"

"Thanks,"

"Why would you think that you killed your parents when it was an accident?" I looked down at the scrunched up snot filled paper towel in my hands.

"That morning my mother and I had a fight about…something stupid and she and dad stormed out of the house all mad and I think her driving was a little crazy because she was so mad. She can't drive well, especially when something is on her mind, it's all my fault. If I would just have listened to her, it never would have happened." I buried my face in my hands. Jake was next to me in a minute, his arm around my thin shoulders. I rested my head against his shoulders, taking deep even breaths.

"It's not your fault that they were taken early." I nodded vigorously.

"No, it isn't! You couldn't know." I wanted to believe him so badly.

"Everything is my fault. I should have remembered that she was driving angry, I should have apologized to her! That last thing I said to my parents was 'I can't wait to move out.' Just like I should have realized that Elliot was a terrible person before we had a relationship." I felt like crying again.

"Have you ever heart of fate?" I nodded and closed my eyes, he was so warm.

"Maybe the guy upstairs planned this all out for you. Just like he planned my dad to be stuck in a wheel chair or for my mom to pass away early. Everything happens for a reason." I raised my head to look at him.

"Maybe." he smiled, glad that he was able to calm me down.

"Tell me about this ex-boyfriend of yours." He positioned himself on the floor next to my chair.

"There really isn't much to tell, it's just that, I don't know…I could have caught that he was an ass before we…..had sex." I buried my face in my hands, embarrassed for saying this. I hadn't told Jackie this yet, maybe I wouldn't have to. Ignorance is bliss.

"It isn't your fault." he repeated gently. I didn't want to talk about this anymore, I felt like a weight was lifted off my back, I wanted to fall asleep right then and there on his warm shoulder. But now I had to deal with the fact that I told him about my sister. We sat there in silence before Jake spoke again.

"So…Bella finally told ya, huh?" I looked at him surprised, and then realization slapped me in the head. That's what they were talking about the first time I met Jake.

"Uh….tell me what?" I tried to play dumb but I knew he had heart me when I was hysterical.

"You don't have to cover for them, I already know." He smiled thoughtfully.

"How…do you know?" He sighed heavily

"I….I…am a werewolf." My face reddened.

"Now you're just making fun of me!" I stood with as much dignity I could muster and tried to walk around him, but he grabbed my hand.

"No! No wait! I'm not making fun of you. Of coarse not! I would never." He let out a nervous laugh. When I looked into his eyes, I knew that he wasn't joking around with me. I sat back down feeling silly.

"But aren't…..werewolves and vampires enemies or something?" I shrugged.

"We used to be…until the Cullen's." I nodded, Edward and Bella told me that they, along with their family weren't normal vampires. I was annoyed that Bella and Edward forgot to mention the werewolves.

"Jake…can you just tell me the whole story?" I wanted the truth! He nodded.

"You deserve the truth…."

"First, I think I should ask you a question." I raised my eyebrows.

"Ask away." he knew all of my secrets now.

"When we first met, in that diner, did you feel as though gravity was pulling us together? As if all of the oxygen left your lungs." I swallowed, remembering.

"Yeah," He smiled.

"Well, I felt it too. We felt that way because I imprinted on you that day." What?

"It's hard to explain, it's a werewolf thing." I squeezed his big hand.

"Tell me, Jake, please." He nodded, and then began his story.


	13. Mexican Food and Coco Puffs

**Hi, everyone! I'm sorry, it's been so long since I last posted!!! You see, my computer is fucked up for a while and I don't know how to fix it. So now, I'm using my mom's as a substitute and it kind of sucks but that's okay, as long as I post regularly, right? **

**Comments would be delightful.**

**Lindsey.**

**Oh, Hi Josie! **

"Wow, that's heavy." Jacob chuckled,

"Thanks." I took his hand and squeezed it, it felt like he had a high fever but now I knew why. Jacob sighed, I wanted to sit there for the rest of my life and just look at him, maybe kiss him.

"You hungry?" it wasn't until Jake said this that I realized I was hungry. I nodded, Jake squeezed my hand once before he got up off the floor and went to open the refrigerator.

"I have, soda, macaroni, Coco Puffs, and Emily's famous meatballs. I told you about Emily, right? Sam's wife." I smiled and nodded. I wondered how Emily reacted when Sam told her about imprinting. Jake sighed again.

"I would make eggs, but I have no eggs." I laughed.

"That's okay…..can I have some Coco Puffs?" Jake chuckled and nodded, he grabbed two bowls and two spoons and brought them over to the small table.

"Do you like milk?" I looked up and him shocked,

"Yes! Of course I like milk with cereal." Jake shook his head and placed the carton of milk in front of me.

"Disgusting!" he stage whispered.

"no it isn't!" I laughed.

"I don't understand why it's so hard for people to understand that I hate milk in my cereal." I gapped at him.

"Because it's weird." I said, stating the obvious, as I poured the liquid onto my cereal. Jake sat down across from me, spooning out a dozen or so dry puffs.

"Delicious!" he stated after his swallowed the food. I laughed again. After I was done, I looked at the stove clock. It read 10:33 p.m.

"Damn, I have to be home." I looked at Jacob apologetically. He smiled ruefully at me, and I finally saw the undying love he had for me in his eyes. My stomach dropped, but not in the bad way. I squeezed his hand one more time and then got up to put my bowl into the sink, planning on washing it. Jake was behind me and he grabbed my arm gently.

"You go, I'll do that." He said softly. I looked up to his face and nodded.

"Lean down for a minute." I said, with a smile in my voice. He looked confused.

"Just trust me." Jake sighed and bent down so our faces were level. Then I kissed him softly on the cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered, standing to his full height again.

"Were going to have to wait, to….you know," I said, Jake nodded, understanding.

"I know," I nodded too, kind of disappointed in my self.

"We have all the time in the world." He told me, and I nodded again. Then, I realized that what he said wasn't as true as I thought it was. Jake could live forever if he chose to, Bella and Edward will live forever, and someday I would die. I opened my mouth to say something else, but Jake put up a hand to silence me.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow," He said, as he lead me to the door, "but you have to sleep."

………………………………...

I wrinkled my nose as the smells of Mexican food reached my nose, then I sighed, Edward had taken up cooking again.

"Edward!" I called, as I descended the stairs. I was organizing the closet next to the bathroom that my brother and sister shared with each other. I had kept all of the towels and bathroom soaps and every other present Edward and I had received at our wedding in that closet, even if we didn't need them all. The hardwood floor was covered with cloths and such and I stumbled a little as I moved past them all. Even as a vampire, I was still clumsy.

"Yes, Dear!" he replied when I walked into the kitchen. I raised an eyebrow as I saw spices and hamburger meat all over the counter. I wrapped an arm around his waist.

"What are you cooking?" I asked softly, I knew he could hear me. Edward smiled down at me.

"Enchiladas," he said proudly, "I just wish Todd was awake so he could try it, I've forgotten how much I enjoyed cooking." I was glad to see that Todd and Edward had bonded more since our talk with both him and Delilah. I wasn't so sure of Delilah though, but I knew that she would heal over time from what was hurting her. I also knew that Jake would help her the same way that he had helped me those years ago.

"I think Delilah would be willing to try it when she gets home." I said confidently. She might not be though. Jake had called me to tell me that he had imprinted on my sister, I was very happy for both of them. I was happy because I knew now that Delilah would be safe always. I remembered my mom would call me for advice on teenagers, the last time I talked with her our conversation was about Delilah. _"She isn't like you, Bella, I think she hates me and I don't know what I did. She's constantly getting sent to the office for talking back to her teachers and getting into fights! I feel helpless." _I sighed quietly remembering, I wish now, that I told her how much I love her. Edward looked down at me, concerned.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, placing the spatula he was holding down on the pan. I wanted to cry so bad and Edward could see it in my eyes.

"Bella, darling. Tell me, please." Edward lead me over to the table where he sat me down in one of the chairs.

"It's nothing, Edward, really." as I said this I started to break down. My husband took me into his arms immediately.

"I miss her so much!" I sobbed tearlessly into his chest. The moment when I got the news from my little sister played in my head over and over. Edward made shushing noises as he rubbed my back.

"I know how hard this has all been on you." he said gently. I calmed down after a while and we just sat there holding each other. When I pulled away, Edward brushed my hair out of my eyes and looked empathetically down at me.

"Edward….do you remember.." I trailed off, regretting this the moment it came out of my mouth. He looked confused.

"Remember what, Dear?" Edward had taken up calling me "Dear" after we got married. I think he picked it up from Carlisle.

"when your parents died…did your heart hurt as much as mine does now." I finished. When I saw his expression my heart broke. His topaz eyes seemed to darken and he looked more miserable than he did five seconds ago.

"Forget it, you don't have to tell me." I looked down at out entwined hands. I should have thought before I said anything, Edward didn't like to talk about his human life, but always listened to me talking about mine. I remembered what Esme had told me the week before I was turned, _"Try to save anything from your childhood, Bella, or else you will forget in time." _ I valued these words very much.

"I want to, though," he said softly. I nodded.

"When my father died, I didn't feel any pain, I just felt numb. He wasn't around much, being a lawyer, so it was always just me and my mother. My mother was my best friend, though," Edward's face was a mile away, he looked so sad. "-I remember being in that hospital and I also remember when the doctors told me that my mother had died. I was in a haze, my fever was rising higher and higher by the hour. I wanted to die along with her, naturally, my whole world was destroyed by that influenza. I had nobody left. But then Carlisle changed me and, I guess you could say that he pieced my life back together." This was the most I heard Edward talk of his parents, I was shocked. We sat together in silence, I rested my head onto his hard shoulder.

"I knew it was going to happen, one of these days." I said softly.

"It's called life, Honey." Edward said thoughtfully, I smiled. He was right. I heard the front door close quietly, my head snapped up.

"Delilah is home." Edward stated. I rose from my seat and Edward and I walked out of the kitchen hand in hand to greet Delilah.

"Hey," she said, she looked a hundred times better than she did when she left the house,

"Thank you, for letting me borrow your car, Jake said mine was almost done." I smiled and took the keys from my sister.

"Sure, Hun, you can borrow it anytime." Delilah wrinkled her nose.

"What are you making? I though you guys didn't eat." I sighed, but Edward beamed at her.

"We don't….but you do." Delilah raised her eyebrows.

"What is it, first of all?"

"Enchiladas." Delilah's face seemed to brighten.

"They better be good." she walked past us into the kitchen. Edward pulled me along after her, excited. I laughed at his expression. Edward gave Delilah an enchilada on a plate and she didn't say anything for a while, she just chewed.

"This Mexican food is the shit." she announced finally. I looked up at Edward, he wasn't even frowning at her choice of words. I could tell he was proud of himself.

"I'm glad you like it."

"You should have your own cooking show like that lady, Rachel Ray." Delilah got up from her seat.

"Aren't you going to finish?" I asked. Delilah looked around.

"Yeah, but I'm going to wake up Todd, he loves Mexican food." Edward grinned.


	14. Gay Sex

I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel impatiently. Danny was late….again. Normally I didn't mind people being late. But I was anxious to go and see Jake. He was taking me to meet the rest of the pack and his father. I had already met Sam and his very pregnant wife, Emily. They were a sweet couple. As I looked at them together I realized that I could someday have that kind of love with Jacob. Someday…..I sighed. Someday seemed like a long time away. I looked at the house for the thousandth time exasperatedly. I was supposed to drop Danny off at his new job. He was going to be a waiter at the new restaurant down the street. I placed my hand on the horn and held it there until the his whole street had turned on their porch lights in alarm. I snickered. 

"Come on!" I said out loud. Finally, I was forced to get out of the car to drag his ass back out to the car. I knocked on the door obnoxiously. When the door finally opened I wasn't met by Danny, I was met by who I supposed was his father.

"Ah….Hi!" I said awkwardly, as if I didn't disturb the whole neighborhood and knock on his door rudely for the past 5 minutes. 

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, I raised my eyebrows.

"Delilah, who are you?" The man laughed,

"I'm Danny's step-father…you must be Delilah come in" He said this flatly, like he was annoyed with me being there.

"I just said that." I said under my breath. As I stepped over the thresh hold I sighed again, Danny was nowhere in sight.

"Mr.….ah…?" If this was Danny's stepfather, what was _his _last nameHe looked down at me. His eyes were a little colder than I'd expected, but that didn't scare me. 

"Can you please call Danny for me? I'm in a bit of a hurry and…" Danny's step dad shrugged and snorted. 

"I'll try, that boy takes so long in the bathroom it's almost like he's a women!" He laughed at his own joke. I let him have one of my cheesy smiles, but all I could manage in the laughing department was an _ahaha _in a dull monotone. Can you picture that? 

"You know what? I'll go get him!" I suggested, I didn't want to embarrass Danny if his step dad cracked a joke about his femininity around me. I started to walk up the stairs but then I realized that I didn't know where Danny's room was, or his bathroom for that matter. I felt weird just bursting into this man's house and running around trying to find his stepson. Mr. Stepdad (I have decided to call Danny's stepfather this since Danny seems to have forgotten to tell me that he has a step dad.) started to walk away towards what seemed to be the kitchen.

"Ah…" _Mr. Step dad.._, I tried to avoid using this name out loud, "Hey! Where is Danny?" He stopped walking and turned toward me, annoyed again. 

"Third door to the right at the top of the stairs." I hate to admit this, but I always got flustered when people added in left and right to their directions. To bad it was necessary for most occasions. 

"Right, thanks." I ran up the hardwood stairs, I didn't notice that it made an ugly noise until I was standing at the top, listening to the echo. I have only been this uncomfortable in one other house. When I was about 14, I remembered that I was going to hang out with this girl named Crystal. Now, Crystal's mother was very, very strict when it came to her daughter and rules. She basically told her daughter what to wear, what to do, and what to think. She was like those bitch mothers on TV that everyone hates. Yeah, so anyways, Crystal's mother took one look at me and treated me like dirt my whole relationship with Crystal, which wasn't that long thanks to her mother.

I tiptoed to the first door to the right at the top of the stairs and knocked on the door softly. 

"Danny?" I called. I was afraid that I would wake some sleeping violent alcoholic in the room next door, don't ask me why I thought this, I just did. I watch too much TV. When I stepped into Danny's room I was shocked it was so….boyish. Honestly and truthfully, I expected it to be like Danny's personality, colorful and happy. Instead, it looked like a hotel room. Neat bed, neat desk, neat everything! Only one light was on in the room and it came from the bathroom. I heard faint humming coming from the direction of the light, I giggled softly and walked straight into the bathroom.

"Oh my god!" Said loudly, startled. I laughed.

"You're stepfather's right, Danielle, you do take long in the bathroom." Danny pretended that my girl name for him wasn't funny and tried not to laugh. He secretly likes the name I picked out for him, I think. Danny was in the middle of styling his hair with gel. I smiled at him though the mirror we were standing in front of. 

"Do you think it looks good parted on the right or the left?" He asked casually. I considered this. 

"I think you look good as both." Danny rolled his eyes. 

"If you absolutely _had _to pick a side, if your life depended on it what would you pick?" It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"My life does not depend on your hair, Danny."

"Shut up and just pick because I can't!" I sighed.

"Fine, the right!" He flipped his bands dramatically to the right side, I laughed again.

"You should be a model." 

"Thanks…but I don't think that is Chuck's plan for me." He sighed sadly. 

"Mr. Step dad shouldn't have to decided what you want to be for you! it's your choice, Danny, remember that." He smiled ruefully at me.

"Thanks, Delilah."

"It's okay." He nodded.

"I really have to go now, you do to." Danny washed his hands really quick. 

"Okay, lets go." he said, taking my hand and pulling me out of both rooms. He put his arm around my shoulders and said as we descended the stairs,

" You know, If I were straight, I'd totally have sex with you." I laughed.

"Thanks Danny, that really boosted my ego." 

"Anytime." 


	15. RomanceFantasy Kisses

**To Dearest Sammie,**

**Love your lover, Lindsey. **

**I dedicate this chapter to you because you inspire most of Danny's finest moments. **

**Oh, and Melody belongs to Sammie (who is skt010) Thank you for letting me use her. Delilah and Danny belong to me and everybody else, sadly, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. **

"Damn, that's hot." Danny breathed. I turned my head to the direction on the restaurant's front doors. Sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette was a man about our age, I guessed Danny meant him. Danny and I were sitting on the roof of my newly repaired car! It had stopped raining for once and the air was a little too humid for the middle of March. Danny's shift was in 15 minutes and I still had about an hour before I had to be at Jake's house.

"What? That guy?" I giggled, he had the _worst _taste in guys.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you like the tall, dark, and old kind." at this I threw back my head and laughed really hard.

"Oh! I don't know what you're smoking, Rainbow, but Jake is not _that _old. And that guy is as ugly as hell." Danny shook his head.

"You don't even know what you're talking about! You've probably never even been with a guy!" He teased, I tried to stay cool when he said this, after all, Danny didn't know anything about my life in Florida and I plan to keep it that way.

"Um, actually I have! And, what are you talking about? You've never been with a guy at all!" Danny laughed along with me. Danny sighed,

"You're right."

"I know."

"I need a boyfriend."

"I know." Danny laughed again. I cocked my head to the side and thought for a moment.

"Maybe we could sign you up for or _eHarmony _or something." I suggested. Danny shrugged.

"I already have a myspace that says I am _looking for a relationship,"_

"That's really safe, Danny, did it say that you were a prostitute too?" He shook his head, "You're impossible." he said.

"Have you ever considered finding a guy the normal way?" I asked. He smiled sadly.

"Forks high school isn't very well populated with hot gay guys, I'm afraid. Well, except for Jose Mejia but I think the sexual behavior was the result of the coke his was snorting that night." I laughed, I had sat behind Jose in math class for two months before he got moved to another table because I kept on throwing my chewed gum in his hair, I blamed it on the football jock that sat next to me.

" I don't even think he is gay!" I commented after a minute of silence. Danny shook his head at me. "And you were so good at spotting my gayness from faraway, I'm disappointed." I laughed.

"Oh, Come-on! You were soooo gay that day! It's the way you held yourself. Everybody could tell" Danny shook his head again smiling, even more disappointed than before.

"He's definitely gay." Danny said.

"I don't think so."

"Are you questioning my "_Gaydar_?" **( Thank you Sheri's gay friend!!) ** he asked, shocked. I collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"I might be, now get the hell off my car, I need to bounce." I gently shoved him off and he laughed and, like a good friend, hugged me tight.

"Good luck meeting Jake's friends!" He said, "If there are any hot gays there, give me a call. I'll bring the wine coolers!" he said excitedly. I sighed and pushed his face away jokingly.

"Have fun at work." I said, getting into the car. He backed up slowly as I pulled out, looking at the guy on the bench, who was now starting a new cigarette. As I drove away, I saw Danny sit down next to the guy, accepting one of his cigarettes and talking to him. I smiled to myself.

The drive to La Push was quiet. I watched the sun go down, happy that my Jeep was back with me. I was slightly worried about meeting Jake's friends. It would suck if they didn't like me. As I pulled into his driveway four other beat up cars were there. I faintly heard Doug barking up a storm from inside the house. I smiled, the sound of her bark calmed me for some reason. I opened the door, kicking it with my foot while I grabbed the pie Bella and I baked last night. Steadily, I carried the pie up the steps of Jake's house and knocked. Jake opened the door immediately, I heard him yelling at his friends as he opened the door.

"Hey," he said, kissing me gently on the cheek. That was the only sort of kissing we were doing and an electric shock ran through me every time, I couldn't imagine what a kiss on the mouth would do to me. He moved out of the way so I could get through the doorway with Bella's pie. Emily came bustling out of the kitchen smiling at me. I smiled back.

"Oh, here, Honey, I'll take that." she said, I gave it to her and she disappeared into the kitchen. Jake introduced me to all of the guys sitting on the couches.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, waving to the big crowed. They laughed.

"Jake, she's _way _too pretty for you, I think you've got the wrong girl." said one of the guys, he's name was Embry. We all laughed at that and I heard another women call from the kitchen disapprovingly.

"Oh, what happened to the talk we had, Embry? Be nice!" The women looked around the doorway at Embry. Embry looked down, angry at himself for angering, who I supposed was his wife.

"Yes, Dear." he said quickly, almost scared. I smiled at her, complementing her with my eyes. See seemed to understand the look I gave her and laughed.

"Hi, I'm Melody." she introduced herself, we shook hands and she lead me into the kitchen away from Jake, I looked back and he gave me an encouraging smile. Sam and another women besides Emily were in the kitchen. I smiled shyly at them both.

"Delilah, Leah, Leah, this is Delilah. And you've already met Sam." Melody waved her hand in the air as she said this. I smiled at them both and sat down in one of the chairs beside Sam. I did this because I knew him better.

"Clearly you are nothing like your sister!" Emily laughed. I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't know if you remember this, Hun, but she was a clumsy girl."

"She means," Sam said kindly, "That Bella probably would have dropped the pie on the way to the house." I laughed at their joke. My tension was erased after I had met Billy, Jacob's father, who arrived after me. The second he saw me, he seemed to accept me. Happy that his son would finally be settling down.

"We thought he'd never find somebody!" Jared said later, teasing Jake. Jacob punched him in the arm but that didn't faze Jared at all. I laughed along with everyone else as he said this.

"This is some damn good pie." Jared said when Emily passed out pieces to all of us. I smiled at him. I was sitting on the floor leaning on Jake's legs, Melody and Emily were sitting above me on the couch, everyone was around us.

"Did you make it?" I swallowed, and answered.

"My sister and I made it, she's excited that she has people to make stuff for." All the guys except for Billy, Sam, and Jake put down their forks.

"What?" I asked.

"We're eating vampire pie." said Quil.

"So?" I asked, confused.

"Should we be concerned about this?" Paul asked the group, they all shrugged, looking at one another. I sighed and continued eating, I loved the pie.

"You know what?" Melody said, "I bet she poisoned it." She said this so sarcastically everyone in the room laughed in including me. After a while Seth said,

"Why doesn't it smell bad?" I looked at him like he was on crack.

"I don't think pie's usually smell bad." I answered. Everyone laughed at that.

After a while all the guys, including Billy, navigated themselves outside with their beers leaving me with all of the other imprintees (except for Leah). Emily and Embry's wife, Melody, made sure that I was included and that made me feel good inside. I sat and listened to them all talk at the kitchen table happily, with Doug sleeping on my lap. I was pulled out of my happy place when Emily asked my opinion on my new town and friends. After I told her it all just got a hundred times better she beamed at me, the un scarred side of her mouth lifted.

"You had a good time?" Jake asked. We were cleaning up together after the party. Emily and Melody offered to stay and help but I refused them, they understood.

"Oh, yeah. I had an awesome time, Jake. It was great." I smiled at him, I was telling the truth.

"I'm glad." We took the dirty plates into the kitchen and I washed while he dried. We Didn't talk for a while, the sounds of the plates and silverware clinking against each other was enough. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it was content, we were both so happy that we just couldn't talk right now. His presence was enough for me and I'm guessing it was the same vice versa. When we were done cleaning we leaned against the counter, still not talking. I felt tired but I didn't want to go back home. I looked up at Jake, he looked back at me. His eyes were loving, I got lost in his eyes for a moment. Then, slowly, to gage my reaction he pressed his lips against mine and I felt my body tingle with pleasure. His hands were on my hips and he rocked us back and forth after the kiss was done.

"I'm sorry." he said when we pulled away. I closed my eyes. If only I was older!

"Don't be, please!" I said, and I hugged his waist, he leaned down and kissed the top of my forehead.

"You know what?" I said when I pulled away, I looked up into his eyes, suddenly angry.

"Fuck my age! This relationship is already magical. We should be allowed to kiss, if this were some disgusting romance fantasy novel we would probably be having fictional werewolf/human sex right now." 

"Delilah, Honey." Jake said, almost sarcastically. "We're not in a romance fantasy novel, this is reality." I sighed.

"Reality sucks," I said, Jacob laughed.

"I know, I know."

"Think we should still be able to kiss." I said.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"How about we kiss without the tongue until I'm 18? That isn't that bad right?" Jake shrugged.

"I guess not." I nodded.

"No tongue it is, then, I guess." He smiled.

"Bend down for a sec." He raised his dark eyebrows, but bent down so his face was level with mine. I kissed him softly for a minute, we pulled away at the same time.

"That was nice." Jake said.

"I know, I think we should do it more often."

"Sure, sure."

**I would love some comments!! Please, ask me your questions, or give me some criticism. **


	16. Bitter Memories

**Did everyone die out there? Review if you're still reading! I would absolutely hate to be writing Delilah's story for nobody. **

My first kiss was a dare. I was in the 7th grade. Back in those days, I was just getting into the shenanigans of smoking and drinking. We were at a party, Jackie and I. My mother thought I was going to my friend Hailey's house to sleep over only, I hadn't even talked to Hailey in over a year. Sometimes I wish my mother paid closer attention to me back then, maybe I wouldn't have made so many mistakes. We were all sitting in Jared King's basement with nothing to do, I remember that it was Eileen Darcy that suggested we all play a game of truth or dare. Honestly, I was nervous. I took big sips of my wine cooler even though I didn't really like it that much. Little drops of it rolled down my chin onto my black tee-shirt. I remembered looking around self consciously, hoping that know one saw me. Jackie and I, I think, were the youngest one's there except for Jared himself, whose 17 year-old brother was hosting the party.

I knew Eileen personally, we got along great. She sometimes helped me with my English homework because she'd already been through it all. Eileen was two years older than me, she lived three houses down from me. Though she was a known bitch, I didn't really believe it myself. She died of a drug overdose a year and a half ago. I went to her funeral with Jackie, by then, our friendship was over but I still felt a little sad.

"Um…I pick….Delilah." She said to the crowd of people. Everyone looked around, looking for the girl Eileen was talking about. I felt shaky, I handed my drink to Jackie who gave me a look that said, _I told you so._

"Truth or Dare." Eileen asked. All eyes were on me, I felt my cheeks redden, my heart raced.

"Dare." I said confidently, Eileen was my friend right? I thought, she wouldn't do anything too, too horrible.

"Hmm…..I dare you to.." she cocked her head to the side, her bouncy blond curls made her look like Medusa the gorgon from that Greek myth _Perseus and the Gorgon Medusa. _

"….make out with Brian…" Her eyes searched for the right Brian, I'm guessing there were a few of them in that room alone. "..Steinberg." My mouth dropped, I looked around for the right Brian. A boy stood up, he wasn't tall, probably about my dad's height. He wasn't exactly cute either, which didn't encourage me. He looked about Eileen's age, maybe a little older. He walked unsteadily over to me with a goofy smile on his face, he reeked of pot and alcohol.

"Hi." I said, unsure what was going to happen. He didn't talk, just leaned down and kissed me hard, I felt his tongue break into my tightly sealed lips and wriggle around for a minute. I didn't know how to react, I just stood the like an idiot with this guy's tongue down my throat. When Brian pulled away he chuckled, I got a whiff of the beer he was drinking and the pot he was just smoking in the face.

"Keep practicing, kid." he said to me, and walked away. How's that for romantic, Huh? I looked around wildly for Jackie, my face flushing again. Everyone in the circle soon lost interest in the game about two people after me.

"Delilah?" I looked up from the homework I was trying to complete at the kitchen table, my thoughts jerking away from Brian Steinberg. Bella looked at me curiously from across the table. Her topaz eyes seemed to turn brighter as she looked at me.

"How are you?" she asked hesitantly. I stared at her.

"I'm fine…why?" She shrugged.

"It's nothing, I just….I'm here, if you ever wanted to talk." She leaned forward as if I were whispering softly to her.

"Um...okay. What brought this on?" She smiled softly.

" I don't know. It's just, I know how hard Mom and Phil's deaths were on you." I nodded. As I played this over in my head I wanted to cry. I haven't thought about my parents in a few weeks. I've been so busy with Jake and Danny and school. I felt guilty about forgetting them and that sinking feeling in my stomach returned. We sat together in silence for a minute before she said,

"Mom really loved you." I looked into her beautiful vampire face, my eyes filling with much delayed tears. I shook my head and whipped them off my cheek angrily. She had no fucking idea what our mother thought of me.

"No, she didn't." I swallowed the extra spit that had formed in my mouth. Bella was talking again but I wasn't listening.

"She wished that I was more like you. You are the one she loved. You're the perfect daughter." More tears rolled down my cheek, Bella sat dumbfounded, surprised at my sudden burst of emotion. I bet she expected me to brush it away.

"The last few weeks before she died, she wouldn't look me in the eyes for longer than a minute. We would both be at each other's throats non-stop. She'd always ask me why I couldn't be more like you. Why I couldn't get good grades in school like you did. When I came home after having the fuck being beaten out of me by my high boyfriend, she told me that I had brought it upon myself for being stupid enough to have sex with him. She said to me, '_your sister would have been smarter' _So you see, Bella, Mom didn't love _me_. She loved _you _and Todd." My voice was raised, but I wasn't yelling. The tears were stopped but I didn't wipe them away from my cheeks. I got up, grabbing my bag and binders from the table. Then, I stopped. Bella looked ready to fall apart but that didn't stop me from saying,

"The day she died, She and I had another fight. It was over something stupid but I still managed to make her hate me enough to crash a car into a tree. I wonder what would have happened if I were more like you, maybe she wouldn't have died." I walked away from my sister without looking back at her with my bag over my shoulder. When I pushed the door to the kitchen open I was met by Edward. He looked down at me with his sad light topaz eyes for a minute, then pushed past me to go comfort his wife. I walked past the living room. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward's sister, Alice, sitting on the couch. She looked at me curiously. Alice was over here more often than her other sisters and brothers, she and Bella were close.

I dropped my shit in the closet next to the front door and grabbed my coat and keys. I felt as if I would suffocate in here. Feelings of self hatred pulsed through my veins. I had let my guard down and sooner or later I would have to pay for it but now, I need to get out of here. I took deep even breaths and walked quickly out into the rain. Thick drops fell down think and fast on my head, drenching me. I stood outside my car door for a minute, resting my head on the glass window. I barely even felt the rain. I didn't know where that outburst came from. I looked into Bella's perfect innocent eyes and just lost it! She didn't know what she was talking about, she had know idea what I was _really_ going through. I pulled the Jeep door open. The automatic light came on, blinding me. I got in clumsily and started the engine with a roar. As I drove away from my sister's house I looked back at it in my rearview mirror and sighed. Where the hell should I go? I didn't want to burden Jake anymore with my life, though part of me knew he would want to help me.

I didn't really want to go to Danny's either, he was probably at work or with his new boyfriend, Andrew. I sighed, maybe I should just keep on driving until I get somewhere were I'm not known as a fuck up. That would be nice, but I would miss Jake too much. Imagining what my disappearance would do to him, I shuttered at the thought. After about 15 minutes of driving I stopped at a brightly lit convenience store, parking in front of the door. As I sat there, I realized just how much I missed smoking. Not pot or anything, but Marlboro cigarettes. I tried all different brands but Marlboro was always my favorite. I sighed, I had sworn to Jackie a year ago that I'd stop. I looked around the front seat of the Jeep, I had five dollars with me. I pushed open the door of the Jeep and hopped out, slamming the door behind me. I walked into the store and a little bell sounded when I opened the door. I looked around, squinting. A teenage boy with greasy hair was looking at a porn magazine behind the counter, classy. I shook my head smiling softly.

I went up to him, he dropped the magazine as I came closer and made eye contact with me. I could tell he was wearing the kind of contacts that turn your eye color all weird.

"Ah, yeah. Can I buy a pack of Marlboros, please?" I said evenly. I forgot my driver's license and my fake I.D. when I left the house.

"How old are you?" he asked. I could tell he was no older than me, so I'd probably get away with this. I decided to tell the truth.

"Seventeen. Does it matter?" He smiled

"Not really. The manger took out all of the security cameras to save money."

"That's really safe." He laughed and grabbed a pack on the shelf and handed it to me.

"2.67." I handed him my crumpled up five and he opened up the cash register to give me change.

"Wait, can I also get a soda, please?" I asked before he closed the register, he rolled his eyes and I got my _Mountain Dew_ in the case next to the local newspapers.

"1.98." Handed him the change he just gave me, smiling. He shook his head.

"Keep it," I said before he could hand me my remaining money. I grabbed my stuff and walked away from him out to my car. When I got in, I immediately grabbed the pink lighter I always kept in the glove compartment and light one of the stiff cigarettes. I looked at it for a second before I put it into my mouth and thought about how stupid I was being. I forgot all about that as I took a drag and held my breath. Rolling down the window, I blew the smoke out into the night. I sat there and took two more drags of my cigarette and thought about everything I've said to my sister. My thoughts seemed clearer to me now. I didn't know how I could go home. I felt embarrassed just thinking about apologizing to her. But then, I didn't _have _to apologize, everything that came out of my mouth was true fact. Lordy, I am such a bitch. I closed my eyes and dipped the extra ash out the window with my pointer finger. To get my mind off of Bella, I tried to imagine how my life with Jake would be. His love was so overwhelming to me, but I loved him back just the same. I am just so used to being the only one in the relationship that's actually in love that I just can't comprehend that fact that Jake loves me as much as he says he does.

"Lordy, Lordy." I said as I breathed out more smoke.


	17. You Are My Sunshine

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I asked, I sounded almost desperate, which was awful and completely humiliating. Jake laughed, his voice was groggy. I think I woke him up from a nap. He must have been working hard on somebody's car, Mechanics tend to do that.

"Yes, I do. But it is your choice, not mine." I closed my eyes. After two cigarettes I stopped, saving the rest for later

"I love you very much, I just want you to know that." I smiled.

"I love you too, Jake." I said, my stomach filled with butterflies I could barely sit still. We were silent, listening to each other's breathing. After a while I wondered if Jake had fallen asleep.

"I told my sister about my mother." I said. I needed someone to talk to. Someone to give me advice, or even yell at me. Jake breathed heavily into the phone.

"Yeah? How did she take it?" I knew Jake was trying not to tell me that I was wrong about me killing my parents.

"She didn't say anything, she just sat there looking like she was going to cry." I sighed too. All I wanted to do was go to sleep.

"I told her everything, even the whole thing with Elliot." Jake whistled.

"Don't you think you should have told her bits and pieces? I mean all that in one conversation is just ridiculous," I tried to smile.

"You took it okay."

"I know, but Bella is Bella." he reminded me. This time I laughed, but only a little bit.

"I don't know what to do," I sighed again.

"Where are you?" he asked. I grimaced.

"You don't want to know."

"Please, don't tell me you're in a crack house." He said, it didn't sound like he was joking. I laughed anyway.

"No, you're really close, though. I'm parked outside of a drugstore about 2 miles away from my house." I heard Jake groan and get off the couch on the other line.

"Are you at that place where that kid works?" Jake asked as I heard him walk through his kitchen.

"Well, a kid _does_ work here. Do you know him?" Jake snorted, I think he was on to me.

"That's where all of the younger kids in the pack get beer and cigarettes." Yes, he definitely knew what I was up to.

"No, shit!" I said, surprised.

"Yes, shit." I laughed again.

"That place is a dump. Please drive away. Or, you know what? I'll come and get you." I sighed, looking at the clock on my radio. The clock that Jake fixed himself.

"No, Jake. Go back to the couch, I know I woke you up."

"I'm awake now, it's okay. It isn't good on my back anyway. I need to stay in top physical shape so I can fix shitty cars and annoy the living hell out of the younger wolves, the first in command can do that you know." I smiled. Jacob had told me that Sam had retired from being a wolf when he had found out that Emily was finally pregnant, leaving him in first command of the pack. I sat in the driver's seat, listening to him rustle around his house, probably looking for his keys.

"Jake….I have to go home." Jake laughed.

"Yeah, I know."

"Don't come and pick me up, I can drive fine." I hope he didn't think I was out getting drunk.

"Oh, no, Honey. I wasn't planning on it."

"If you knew you didn't have to come, what the hell are you doing over there? It sounds you have a whole army troop in your house!" Jake laughed.

"I'm looking for my god damned remote control! It seems to have gone missing." I burst out laughing, it wasn't even that funny. I was so tired!

I started the Jeep's engine and pulled out of the empty parking lot, feeling much better now that I was talking to Jake.

"Good luck with that." He chuckled. I listened to him rip apart his whole house, which would probably be never tidied again until I made a scheduled visit, I'll have to take him by surprise.

"It couldn't have gone _that_ far!" I said as I heard his heavy footsteps enter what I supposed was his bedroom.

"Oh, no! Since Doug has been apart of this household anything can happen. I swear she is a fucking demon." I laughed. Jake and I talked about anything that was floating across our minds until I reached Bella's driveway.

"I'm home." I said quietly.

"Good luck, okay? Oh, NO! DOUG! Bad. Girl!"

"What's she doing?

"She chewed up the remote." I laughed

"It isn't funny." Jake grumbled.

"Okay…."

"You know I love you." He said

"You know that I love you too." That's where our conversation ended, I didn't like goodbyes.

I sighed as I heaved myself out of the Jeep. My muscles were stiff after an hour and a half of sitting. I had stuffed my cigarettes and lighter inside the glove compartment, otherwise, Todd might find them. I walked slowly up the steps, making sure to be quiet. It was only ten but all of the lights were out except for the porch and the living room. Bella and Edward have always been quiet, I think it is because all they care about is being together, they are only happy when they are together. Before I met Jake I never really understood that.

I dropped my keys onto the table next to the front door and took off my coat, leaving it on the closet floor. I walked slowly into the living room, looking around for vampires. I didn't see any. What I did see though was a cardboard box on the coffee table next to the couch. I moved closer to it, peering in curiously. It was full of homemade video tapes and DVD's. I picked one up that said, _Delilah's Birthday. November 5__th__, 2008. _I wrinkled my nose, I've never seen this tape before, It was the tape of my first birthday. I grabbed it and popped it into the ancient VCR under Edward's big TV.

………………………………...

"_You're my sweet girl! Yes you are! Yes you are!" _I heard the recording of my mother's voice and I looked up from the book I was reading. I didn't even notice that Delilah was home. I slipped out of the cozy armchair I was sitting in. Edward had gone out with Emmett, I didn't remember where they had gone though, knowing Emmett, I probably didn't even want to know. I made my way past shelves and shelves of book and CD's to the door. The memory of Delilah yelling at me played over and over in my head. I hadn't really noticed how alone she felt, how guilty she was. I thought Jake had helped her, I thought that she would be okay for now on, I guess I was wrong. Todd was so different from his sister. He was a sweet boy, a little naive, yes, but I wanted it to stay that way.

I opened my bedroom door soundlessly, hoping that Delilah wouldn't hear me right away. As I walked down the hall, I listened to the video being played. Renee was singing to her baby girl.

"_I'll always love you  
And make you happy  
If you will only say the same  
But if you leave me  
To love another  
You'll regret it all some day;"  
_  
I stood in the doorway, watching my little sister. She sat up close to the TV with her back to me, close enough to touch my mother's face. Renee was rocking baby Delilah to sleep. I didn't look like she knew that someone was in the room filming her, it was a stolen moment. The older Delilah stifled a chocked sob with her hand, I smelt salty tears.

"_You are my sunshine,  
My only sunshine.  
You make me happy  
When skies are grey.  
You'll never know, dear,  
How much I love you.  
Please don't take my sunshine away"_

I walked over to her, my footsteps quiet. I supposed Edward had taken out the box of videos, hoping somehow that it would help. He was sweet. I knelt down next to Delilah, she didn't move from her position, she sat there crying. I pulled her to my chest and I to erupted into sobs, only they were tearless.

"I miss her so much!" Delilah cried, her voice was stifled by my tee-shirt.

"Me too."

**Thank you so much everybody! I shall post the next chapter very soon. The song Renee was singing is called "You Are My Sunshine" Just in case anybody was wondering. **


	18. The Birthday Girl's Blue Cupcake

**2 Years Later...**

"Hey birthday girl!" Danny greeted me brightly. He was sitting on the hood of his step-dad's shiny new Toyota and I shook my head as I imaged Jake's reaction if he ever saw this for himself. Danny looked better than he had when I visited him two weeks ago. Andrew had just broken up with him and he had been heart broken. Andrew had been Danny's first boyfriend, their relationship had lasted for two long years through the good and the bad.

"Hey, Hun." I said smiling. I hugged myself as I walked up to my best friend. I flinched as the chilly December air hit my face. I still wasn't used to the winter time after having grown up in sunny Florida. Danny and I met up in the parking lot of the local grocery store. Danny was only home for the Christmas holidays, he would soon be returning back to Washington State College. I had decided not to attend college. High school was enough for me. Bella and Edward had protested, there had been many, many arguments. But, in the end, I convinced them that school just wasn't my thing. And it wasn't, I was so fed up with all of the tests and classes and teachers.

"Happy eighteenth." Danny said when I was finally next to him.

"Happy eighteenth." I repeated back. I just loved saying it. I was finally an adult! I could finally make my own choices and that felt amazing. Danny handed me a neatly blue frosted cupcake with a little candle hole in the middle. I smiled and kissed him on the cheek, he grimaced and twitched, getting all embarrassed. My heart broke a little, Danny was so down about this break up. It looked like he hadn't really been eating all that much.

"Aw, Danny I love it. Did you make it?" He gave a little laugh.

"No…I bought it. Just now while I was waiting for you to come." I laughed and licked off some of the frosting. Danny slid off of the car's hood and again I realized how skinny he had gotten.

"Lordy, Danny, anorexic much?" He sighed heavily like the world was on his shoulders. God, he was such a drama queen. Call me un-sensitive but I kind of glad that Danny is a single gay. It gives him a chance to get back into the game, maybe find someone that will love him for him and not because he looked totally bad-ass when you brought him places. But then again, I have been in a magical relationship with a werewolf for the past two years, who am I to judge?

"Come on, let's warm-up." Danny said. I smiled and walked around the car to the passenger's side. I slid into the seat and my nose was immediately hit with a whiff of new car smell and tobacco smoke. I smiled, totally at peace. Danny switched on the radio while I licked the rest of the blue frosting off of my cupcake, leaving only the cake with a thin layer of spit and left over blue frosting .

"Want some?" I offered him the cake part since he didn't like the frosting. Danny laughed and pushed it away from his face.

"No thanks, but it looks really appetizing. All cupcakes should be sold like that. Spitty and blue." I laughed at his sarcasm.

"Don't be a downer, Danny, everybody hates downers." I gave him my frowny face and made my voice all high pitched and annoying. He looked at me, allowing one half smile. I grabbed his cheek and pulled at it like the old lady who lived across the street from me did back in Florida when I was younger.

"That's my little Viking." I said sweetly, laughing as he gave me the finger. We sat in silence for a moment, listening to the radio.

"What are you going to do now that you're an adult?" Danny asked conversationally. I rolled my eyes. Alice had asked me the same question this morning, though I already knew that she saw what my plans were. I had asked her how it would all turn out, how I would turn out. She just looked at me with those hypnotizing eyes of hers and shrugged, smiling at me. She laughed when I called her a bitch under my breath as I walked away.

"I dunno," I sighed. "maybe I'll order something from QVC. You know, since I'm finally 18 years or older to call." Danny laughed.

"I'm serious."

"I am too! I've been dying to give those ladies a call, they always sound so pleasant to talk to." Danny shook his head.

"Are you ever going to grow up?" he asked, his eyes looked sad. I stopped smiling and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I've been grown up for a long time, Danny."

………………………………...

"Make a wish!" Bella yelled excitedly. We were all in Bella's dining room. The Cullen's, Jake, Todd, and Danny. The room was dark, the only light was coming from nineteen colorful candles.

"Why are there nineteen? Isn't she turning eighteen?" I heard Emmett whisper to Todd. My brother smiled and answered back.

"One is for good luck." Emmett shook his head in confusion. You would think after attending mine and Todd's birthdays last year would have answered that question but I guess he didn't think to ask it then.

"Silly humans." He muttered to himself. I smiled at everyone around the table, looking each person in the eye. Edward, Edward's parent's, his brothers and sisters, my sister and brother, my best gay, and finally the love of my life. I tucked my brown hair behind my ear and leaned down to blow out the candles.

………………………………...

"Happy birthday." Jake whispered. After much celebrating at my house, Jake had brought me back to his house for our own celebrating. I placed my hand on his warm cheek. I looked into his expressive, beautiful brown eyes and we kissed. Well, actually, we made out…..a lot. I giggled as he carried me over his shoulder from the cozy living room and into his bedroom. His large boots made loud thumping noises on the wood floor. Doug fallowed him, her little leash dragging on the floor. All she wanted to do was play. All we wanted was for her to leave us alone. When Jake entered his dark bedroom, I kicked the door closed with my foot so Doug couldn't get in. I bet you can imagine what happened next.

**This is not the end. Reviews are appreciated. Thank you.**


	19. The Acorn

This morning I found myself in a strange place. Well, not a _strange_ place but somewhere different from where I usually wake up. I reached behind me, my hand whacking the empty space. I looked over my shoulder to see Jake's side of the bed empty. Turning over completely, I rubbed my eyes in confusion and looked around. Jake's room was small but cozy. The two windows in the room were facing the snow covered front yard. I propped myself up on my elbows and listened to what was going on in the kitchen. A radio was on softly playing _Flood_ by _The Acorn_. I smiled, I had got Jake into listening to them. Though I preferred _Even While Your Sleeping _myself. I yawned and looked down at myself wrinkling my nose. I jumped out of the bed. Even though nobody was in the room and the door was closed, I covered my bare body with my arms as I searched for my tee-shirt or any tee-shirt for that matter. After a minute I spotted it thrown on the desk Jake kept under the right window.

I tip-toed over quietly, smiling as I heard Jake's husky voice sing along with the song every now and then. I slipped on the black tee-shirt. My hair felt disgusting on my skin and my face needed a good scrub. I pulled my long brown hair up in a messy bun. My hand automatically rubbed the sleep oil from my nose. I supposed it was from the day old make-up I was wearing. In my search for my tee-shirt I had also found my underwear, bra, and jeans but I only chose to put on the underwear. I hated the feeling of the cold, rough fabric of jeans in the morning, one of the many things I didn't miss about going to school at 7:00 a.m. All I could think about was Jacob and nothing else. How our bodies seemed to melt together like we were one was indescribable. One person, one being. I don't remember ever feeling this way. Like I was falling in love all over again. After I was halfway decent, I took a shaky breath. I seemed to float to the door, my stomach seemed to do back hand springs. This wasn't because I was nervous, though, I was far from it.

Jake's door opened with a loud creaking noise, I almost cringed. I had slept over Jake's house before but never under these circumstances. We always camped out on the couch and watched one of the movies in Jake's wide collection. Jacob was quiet when he was alone or with me. When he was with the pack it was a completely different story. I stood in the doorway and took in my surroundings. Even though it was winter time and raining, the sky was blindingly white. The light flooded into the kitchen covering every corner of the room. Jake looked up from the kitchen table and smiled at me in his calming way. His longer than shoulder length black hair was out of it's usual ponytail. I liked it this way.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," I smiled and went over to him. Jake opened his arms wide for me. I sat in his lap and rested my head on his wide chest. He was feverishly warm and that felt wonderful to my cold body. I closed my eyes and listened to Jake rustling the newspaper he was reading, Doug chewing on the small bone she got in her Christmas stocking, the radio that had moved on from _The Acorn _and was now playing _The Weepies _song _World Spins Madly On. _I smiled to myself. Jake looked down and smiled too.

"What?" He asked, kissing my forehead.

"Nothing, I'm just really, really happy right now." Jake's eyes seemed to twinkle down at me.

"Breakfast?" He asked, I nodded. Jake gently pushed me off him so he could get up. I took his seat as he walked to the counter.

"I have uh….cupcakes" I giggled, "this crappy cereal that Billy tried once and didn't like," he shook his head. "He gave me the box so I could try it. Doesn't want to waist." I nodded.

"Eggs, bread, potato chips, milk, more bread." I had already made my decision when he said cupcakes.

"Um, I'll have the obvious choice" Jake chuckled and grabbed the package of tiny cupcakes. He placed them in the middle of the small table and sat down across from me. I opened the package and handed him two cupcakes. One with pink frosting and one with blue.

"I'm sorry they're not more breakfasty, like muffins." I smiled.

"It's okay, muffins are just ugly cupcakes anyway." Jacob laughed and licked the frosting off of his second cupcake.

**2 Months Later….**

My sister and brother-in-law sat on the couch in front of me as I paced around the room.

"Delilah, what is this about?" Bella asked me softly. I looked at her and smiled. A few nights ago, Jake had offered me to live with him. This made me happier than anything because all I wanted was to wake up every morning and see his face. But, I didn't know how to tell Edward and Bella. What would I say to them? It was weird trying to put all of my feelings for them into words.

"Oh my God! You're not pregnant are you?" I stopped my pacing and looked at my sister shocked.

"I'm too young to be an uncle!" Todd yelled from the kitchen. I rolled my eyes as he ran into the room.

"Your pregnant?" He asked. I shook my head no.

"Bella, I may be stupid, but I'm not that stupid." I laughed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "it's just that you've been at Jake's almost every night since your birthday and you know-" I stopped her.

"Oh, do you and Jake have sex?" Todd asked his smile was all understanding, like he knew something. I hoped to high heaven that he wasn't like this in school. No wonder he didn't bring any friends home. Edward and Bella looked around at him. Edward had an odd expression on his face.

"It's cause they really love each other." Todd said matter-of-factly, nodding his head. When he said this Edward's expression changed.

"At lease I know you were listening." Edward muttered, more to himself than to the group. We all laughed, even Todd. After a minute all eyes were on me and I told them my plans for the future.

**1 Year Later….**

I closed my eyes. I was standing in the parking lot of the drugstore where Jake and I met. We had picked this place because it was where we were brought together. Bella was smoothing down my hair and rubbing soothing circles in my back. Edward was humming softly to himself, which calmed me down a little.

"Mom should be doing this." Bella said quietly. I nodded and shifted my position. My feet were starting to hurt thanks to the heels I was wearing. I opened my eyes and looked up at the sky. Maybe my parents were there. I could picture them sitting together on a cloud looking down at me, Bella, and Todd. I bounced my knees, trying not to tear up.

"Do you think she's watching over us sometimes?" I asked. Edward had enough tack to pretend not to hear and pace around. My voice was thick and I wanted to throw up. It was still kind of embarrassing getting all emotional. It took Bella a minute to answer.

"She's watching over us all the time." I turned my head and looked at my sister. I had let her pick her own outfit for this special occasion. She looked beautiful in the simple light blue dress. I knew that she picked that certain color because Edward would like it. I hobbled over to her and she hugged me tight, kissing my forehead.

"I'm so happy for you." she said. I nodded, resting my head on her cold shoulder.

"I love you." I said. She laughed,

"I love you too."

"God, I hate crying!" I said exasperated, wiping away the tear that had fallen. Bella laughed shakily.

"Don't worry your makeup is waterproof."

"Alice is a genius." I said as the music played, signaling for me to start walking. Edward walked over smiling, offering me his arm. I smiled back and took it. I had wanted Edward to walk me down the isle, well, not isle but the bit of road distancing me from Jacob, because all of the year that Todd and I had lived in Washington he had been like a brother to us. We started walking, everyone stood up. All eyes were on us. Bella walked slightly behind us because she was the maid of honor. I bet it was weird for the Cullen's and the wolves to be at this wedding seeing as they are supposed to be mortal enemies, but they would have to suck it up. I looked straight ahead to the grassy area where the makeshift isle ended. Jake was standing there, smiling broadly. I smiled back. Alice and Bella hadn't let me see him for a day and that was just unbearable. When Edward and I reached him and the priest that was supposed to marry me and Jake, my brother-in-law hugged me tight. I hugged him back and kissed his cheek.

"Everything will be okay." Edward murmured in my ear and I remembered when we were at the airport when my parents died. Edward had the same exact thing to me, back then I didn't believe him, but today I knew what he said was true. We pulled away and I walked over to Jake. He smiled down at me and resisted the urge to hug him. Bella stood behind me and Sam stood behind Jake as best man. When the priest started talking, I wasn't really listening, I just looked into Jake's eyes.

"Delilah, do you take this man to be your husband?" I jumped and looked over at the priest.

"What?" I asked, this is what I get for not listening. Then what he said clicked and I answered.

"Oh, my god, yeah!" Everyone laughed, including Jake.

"I mean," I took a deep breath and smiled embarrassed.

"I do."

**4 Months Later….**

I stared down at the white plastic pee stick I was holding stunned. I closed my eyes and took a shuddering breath. I couldn't be a mother. I couldn't even take care of myself for god's sake! I one time left the house with the stove on and almost burned the whole house down. Thankfully, the fire only burned the wall the stove was up against. It took Jake and me a few weeks to fix it. The smell was awful. What if, when this baby comes into this world, I leave that stove on again. What if it turns out to be a druggie or a hardcore gay porn star? I shook my head. What if it hates me? I swallowed back tears and took deep breaths. I was only nineteen. I always expected that I'd have a baby in my middle-ish thirties. Then again, I also thought that vampires and werewolves were mythological. I jumped when someone knocked on the heavy door.

"Just a minute!" I called in a shaky voice, adjusting my waitress uniform and grabbing the pregnancy test box. I stuffed it all in the small bag I always carried around with me. I looked into the small mirror above the sink. My eyes were slightly red and my hair was falling out of the careless messy bun I'd put it in earlier that morning. I sighed and opened the thick door. I looked up into the face of a young girl probably around sixteen. I smiled up at her and pushed my way past realizing that I hadn't washed my hands. I sighed and let it go since it was the end of my shift anyway and I wasn't serving anyone. The diner was cleared of people. We didn't usually get customers at 10:00p.m. on a Thursday night. The Diner was open 24hours so from now until around 4 in the morning it's pretty quiet all the time. I walked around the empty tables in a haze. The floor tiles were an ugly yellow color and the table tops were black. My shoes made a clanking sound. I looked past my friend, Charlotte, who was sitting at the counter drinking a diet coke and reading a magazine. She looked up when she heard me and smiled brightly. Charlotte was older than me. I could never tell _how _old she was but I could tell she was a good few years older.

"Hey, beautiful." She said, placing her magazine back on the counter. I forced myself to smile but Charlotte saw through that.

"What's wrong? Sit down!" she said immediately, gesturing to the stool next to her. I dropped my bag on the table with a loud thump and sat down next to her. I didn't want to cry in front of Charlotte like a child.

"Does child birth hurt?" I asked, not looking at her but at the clock on the wall in front of us. Jake was expecting me home. Charlotte laughed, shaking her head.

"Oh my God, yeah! It feels like your vagina is about to be broken in two! It's like worse than, than….falling off of a roof naked in the dead of winter." My friend had a dreamy expression as she said this. I looked at Charlotte, now I was about to cry.

"Holy shit!" I said burying in head in my arms. I closed my eyes hoping that I would sink into the floor and disappear. Charlotte gasped, finally realizing the reason I had asked her that question in the first place.

"Oh, you're pregnant aren't you?" she said flatly. I sighed and raised my head to look at her. We shared an awkward silence for a minute before she said,

"I was kidding?" I shook my head and got up, grabbing my bag.

"Oh, come on don't go!" I didn't answer her as I walked to the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I said as I pushed the glass door of the diner open. Cold air hit me like a bomb, I pulled my sweater closer to my body. The light poles were blinding me. The only cars in the parking lot belonged to me and charlotte. I supposed that Simon, the cook, walked home since a couple of apartment buildings were close by.

………………………………...

When I got home I gave Jake a long hello kiss before I went into our room to change out of my uniform. Doug followed me into the bedroom and jumped onto the bed, curling on top of Jake's pillow. I smiled and kissed her head gently. I turned slowly and looked into the full-length mirror behind the door. I looked like I was in shock. My mouth was parted slightly and my hair was wavy from the bun I had just taken it out of. I unbuttoned my white blouse and threw it onto the bed. I just stood there in my bra looking at myself. I looked down at my stomach and put a hand over my belly button. My hands felt freezing but I rubbed my stomach slightly and then continued changing.

………………………………...

"Hey," said a husky voice from behind me. I was sitting on the cold porch with only shorts and a tee-shirt. The wood seemed to numb my legs. I looked over my shoulder and smiled a little. For the last half hour I was sitting here thinking about the pregnancy. I pictured Jake as a father but I couldn't quite picture me as a mother.

"Hi," I said, my voice was soft. It went suddenly dark when Jake's tall form blocked out the porch light. I smiled up at him. He had one of the couch blankets in his hand.

"You must be freezing out here." Jake sat down on the step next to me. He didn't wrap the blanket on himself but wrapped it over my shoulders. I rested my head on his warm neck. I could always depend on Jake to keep me warm on a cold night.

"Something's missing here." Jake said thoughtfully.

"What would that be?" I asked, my eyes were closed. I wanted to tell him so bad. I knew he'd be excited.

"An ashtray and a box of Marlboros." I smiled slightly. Jake didn't exactly like that I smoked, so I didn't like to do it around him. I usually waited until after our usual movie when Jake was asleep on the couch. But tonight he hadn't fallen asleep.

"I ah…have to quit for nine or ten months."

"Wow, you even picked the mouth you're going to start back up again? That's weird." I snorted.

"No, Jake…I…I'm pregnant." I lifted my head to look at his reaction. Jacob smiled and kissed me full in the mouth. I smiled back and then I realized, as long as Jake was there along with me, I didn't have to be afraid.

**Hi everyone! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! This is not the last chapter, I am going to continue a little with the little snippets from the future. Comments are appreciated! **

**-Lindsey**


	20. Five Blessed Miracles Later

**3 Months Later….**

I barely listened to Jake grumbling to himself as he read the paper. We were in the process of looking for a new house. It sucked. I know this is a little childish, but I can't stand any of it. But I guess I can act like a bitch in public now, pregnancy does have it's benefits. The part I hate the most, though, is the open houses. They're just so uncomfortable what with the realtor hanging around in your face and stuff. In Florida there was at least three open houses a week on my old street. I think another reason I was so annoyed with it is that I really didn't want to move out of Jake's house in the first place. I hadn't lived here that long. But I knew it would best. If we were going to bring a kid into this world, we needed a lot more space than we had. Jake and I had decided together that we should find a house near Billy so not only would we be just a little bit closer to him, we'd be closer to the schools and beach, which, I have to admit, would be nice.

I shivered, it was unusually chilly this morning, even for La Push. I spread, like, a pound of cream cheese all over the huge bagel I had ordered Jake out to get me. I smiled to myself. Such small things made me happy these days. Jacob sighed dramatically. I looked up at him curiously.

"Nationals lost last night." He said flatly when he caught me looking at him. He then folded up the paper roughly, ripping the front page right off. I raised my eyebrows. Jacob had missed out on watching the game last night. I had told him that I throw up all the time now, that it didn't matter whether or not he stayed or went because even if he was there it wouldn't stop. He wants to be there for me every second, even when I'm puking my brains out.

"You could have gone over Charlie's with your dad, you knew I wouldn't really care." I said calmly, I knew this would happen. He's going to be in a bad mood, which is going to bring me down, which isn't very pretty now that I'm more hormonal than before.

"Yeah, yeah." He said, I rolled my eyes and took a huge bite out of my breakfast. Right now I was around an 8.5 on the pissed off scale of 1 to 10.

"I thought you were just being hormental, I thought you _wanted _me to stay with you." I snorted. Jake had started calling me hor_mental_ instead of hormonal because I've gone completely nuts on him lately.

"Oh, my God! Jake, okay, whatever, they lost. It isn't the end of the world." I snapped. My face was getting hot. I felt like if I couldn't scream I'd have to break something instead. Maybe my eyes turned un-vegetarian vampire red or Jake was somehow suddenly able to read my mind because he knew that I was ready to burst into a volcano of red psycho bitch lava.

"Alright, Honey, okay. You're right." He held up his large hands in surrender. He gave up fighting with me ever since I threw a huge rock at one of his customer's cars. What can I say? I play dirty. I looked at him for a moment. His big dark eyes were wary, waiting for me to scream at him for no good reason. After a minute, Jake was blurred by the hot tears that fell from my eyes. I sobbed onto my half eaten bagel, the cream cheese was drenched in my salty eye water.

"I'm a psycho!" I cried, burying my face in my hands. Jake seemed to be at my side in a flash. I instantly felt his fever warm arms around me. His cheek was on my forehead and he said reassuring words as he rubbed circles in my back.

"You're not a psycho, you're just a little more emotional than you're used to." He said in his rumbling voice. I sniffed and pulled away so our faces were inches apart.

"Why do you even waste your time with me?" I laughed bitterly, wiping my tears away. Jake looked at me all serious.

"Don't ever, ever say that. I love you, no matter what."

"Even when I'm a huge bitch to you?" I mumbled. Jake laughed.

"Actually, it's really sexy when you are in bitch mode." That made me smile, and I kissed him, tongue and everything. I then rested my head against his big shoulder, Jake stroked my hair for a while.

"Do we have any green Popsicles?"

**6 Months Later…**

**Jake's POV**

"HOLY MOTHER CHRIST!**" **Delilah screeched, her face was beat red and sweaty and she looked like she could murder someone if she wanted to, human or not. I sat in the backseat of Sam's truck holding her hand. I thanked the lord that I was a wolf because if I had been a regular average guy, Delilah might have ripped my arm right off. Emily was on Delilah's other side trying to calm her down. They both looked slightly out of their minds as the both yelled at Sam and I. Of course Sam, as usual, was perfectly in control of the situation. I, on the other hand, was ready to throw up the 3 meals of the Chinese food I had just eaten for lunch. Delilah huffed and puffed next to me and her little hand gripped my hand even tighter.

"It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay." I wasn't even sure if she was listening to me, I sounded kind of high anyway, I wouldn't listen to me either. I sighed in relief as the truck cruised into the hospital parking lot and right up to the emergency room doors. I looked into the back window of the truck and I saw Embry, Quil, and the rest of the pack's cars searching for spots in the lot. I had told them repeatedly that it wasn't necessary for them to _all_ come with us but, as usual, they all came anyway. Probably wanting to give me moral support. I didn't pay any attention at all to the doctors that were outside. I just grabbed Delilah and rushed her into the hospital.

"I'M GOING TO FUCKING BREAK YOUR NECK!" Delilah shouted as she was made to sit in a wheelchair by a patient looking nurse. I grimaced and stayed at her side, trying not to laugh as she screamed at the innocent bystanders who were staring at her. I noticed the whole pack file into the doors of the hospital behind us. The sound of chuckling reached my ears and I spun around. The younger members of the pack found this hilarious, I silenced them by giving them my famous "shut the hell up or I'll beat you" death glare.

"Jake, Jake…I'm going to die!" Delilah said, almost pleadingly as a nurse started to wheel her into two double doors.

"You're not going to die, Honey." I said as our big group started to follow us.

"I'm sorry, only family members are allowed in!" Some bastard in an unwrinkled white coat said, stepping in front of the big crowed with his hands up like I held a gun to his head or something.

"They are famil- Ouch! Oh my God!" Delilah said, doubling over in pain while she held her huge stomach.

"All of you are family?" The man said, perplexed, his eyes seemed to cross as he tried to take in the amount of people attempting to follow us.

"We're all brothers" I said with a small smile, I heard Leah cough obnoxiously.

"And sister." I corrected myself.

"And sister-in-laws" Melody piped up. Emily smiled at her.

"And sister and brother and brother-in-law and brother-in-law's family!" Said a small voice that I recognized. I flinched, I knew I smelt vampires.

"Bella!" Delilah cried, her eyes started to tear up, I frowned and squeezed her hand. The smell of the vampires had gotten easier over the years. But as I saw Bella's face, I realized that I had forgotten how beautiful she was. Even when I dated other women I had thought about her, wondering whether or not I should have fought harder for her. I missed her everyday until her little sister had hit the Rabbit with her Jeep. Time and love heals all wounds I guess. Bella Cullen rushed over to her little sister and held her free hand, kissing her on the cheek multiple times. I looked past Jared and Embry, who had moved protectively in front of their wives to block them from the coven of vampires that were standing awkwardly near the doors. I caught the bloodsucker, Edward's, eyes and nodded in greeting. He nodded back, a small smile on his face.

"Ahhhhfuckfuckfuuuuuuuuuuck!" Delilah screeched, I almost covered my ears, she was so loud, Bella looked like she could tolerate it though. Todd, who was behind Bella, walked up behind the wheelchair and started stroking Delilah's hair soothingly.

"Fine! Fine! All of you come in! I don't care! Will someone give this women some drugs?" The serious looking doctor cried looking around wildly in the sea of wolves, vampires, and humans.

"Get this thing out of me!" Delilah yelled as she was rushed by the nurse into the double doors and down the hall. I followed alongside as did Bella and Todd. I heard my pack and the vampires all follow us. Finally, we stopped in a smallish room where Bella and I helped Delilah into the bed. The nurse left us and muttered that a doctor would be in shortly before she walked swiftly away from us. There were some nasty insults thrown at the vampires by some of the pack and the biggest of the vampires laughed loudly. Emmett, I think his name was.

"Behave yourselves!" Sam hissed at the our party. Usually that would be my job since Sam was not the leader anymore but I was a little busy at the moment, and I guess the torch was silently passed back to him.

"They're sorry!" I shouted over my shoulder, trying to sound in control.

"Don't worry about it, Dear." The doctor's wife sighed, her kind eyes swept over her family, making sure none of them took the insults to heart and did anything stupid. I heard Leah mutter something to Embry but I didn't catch it over Delilah's loud huffing and puffing.

"You little bitch!" The blond vampire growled. Her topaz eyes flashed black as she looked at Leah's confident form. The big vampire named Emmett let out a booming laugh.

"Haha, Rose! Rose! You called the dog-girl a bitch! She's a female dog and you called her a bitch! Is that what you meant? That's funny!" Bella let out a frustrated sigh.

"My God! Can't you people just get along for once? You're acting like a bunch of wild animals!" At that, Emmett laughed again, I shook my head, finally getting it. If I weren't in this situation, I'd think it was funny too.

"Hahahahaha! Bella, you just called us animals when half of us are actually animals! You guys are just too funny!" At that he laughed some more and I heard the group mumbling together.

"Enough!" The head vampire said. His voice seemed to echo around the room. Everyone was silent, I respected this one. Not only was he the leader of a group of vegetarian vampires, but, he also helped me when I was hurt during the battle between the newborn vampires almost 20 years ago.

"Now we are joined, once again, together! I expect each and everyone of you to respect one another while you are here." The eldest vampire said. I looked over at Edward, who was nodding in agreement. I made eye contact with all of my brother's.

"He's absolutely right." I said. That wiped the torn expressions on their faces right off.

"No bitch fights while this baby is being born!" Delilah panted. We all laughed at that.

**4 Years Later…**

I bounced Lynette on my hip as Bella talked, which was getting harder and harder to do as my stomach grew larger. Jesse was sitting at the kitchen table making a play dough castle with Todd and Edward. Todd was spending spring break this year here in Washington, again. Though he said he has a girlfriend, every time I ask about her he changes the subject. So either she's an abusive drunk who only lets him visit home every vacation or she's imaginary. I chose to believe that she was imaginary. I heard Edward sigh from behind the large amount of red play dough he was making into a fire truck. Bella and I both looked over at him.

"Wow Edward, you really have a talent with that play dough." Bella commented teasingly. He chuckled.

"Well, it's not _that _good." I rolled my eyes.

"I like it!" Jesse said enthusiastically, who was trying to spell out his name with messy play dough letters. Edward raised his eyebrows, amused.

"Why thank you." I giggled and waddled over behind Jesse's chair. Lynette ran her chubby fingers through my loose hair. I kissed the top of her sweaty head and wiped away the little bit of drool that had escaped from her mouth with my finger. Lynette and Jesse had both inherited Jake's black hair but their skin color was somewhere in between my pale color and Jake's russet skin.

"What do you say, Jess?" I sighed, not really expecting an answer. It was around 4:00 now, Jake was probably still at the garage but I wanted to get dinner started and Lynette in the bathtub.

"Is…is daddy home?" Lynette had developed a bit of a stutter, which didn't really fathom me since Todd was the same way when he was a baby.

"I don't think so, but you need a bath." I placed my pointer finger on her tiny nose and rested my forehead against hers. She gave me a long, hard look with her big brown eyes that seemed to say, _please don't give me a bath tonight, mom, I _hate_ the sound the drain makes_. Of coarse, Lynette didn't protest in front of her aunt and uncle because even at two years old, she didn't like to make scenes. Which was just peachy for me because I hated them too.

"Do we haaave to leave?" Jesse looked around at me sadly, I knew that he liked to hang out with Edward and Todd.

"Yeah, we haaave to leave." I said teasingly, ruffling his hair. Edward smiled at him, winked, and told him that he could build play dough cities with him any day.

I shuffled over to Todd and gave him a one-armed hug, he patted Lynette's hair and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Jesse hopped off of his chair after he had helped to clean up the huge mess on the table.

"Okay, kid, you're going to have to walk to the car. My back is killing me." I set her down, her sweet face looked up at mine.

"Is baby hurting you?" She asked quietly, I laughed, and placed my arm over my huge stomach.

"I'm okay, sweetie." I lied. My back hurt, my ankles were swollen, and I was a planet. I might as well have the inanimate objects orbit me.

Bella talked my ear off as I walked out the screen door. I kept a careful eye on Jesse as he made the small journey from the porch to the truck. Lynette was okay, the trip down the porch steps delayed her a bit because of her tiny legs.

"Bye!" I waved to my sister, brother, and Edward, who had all walked us out. I struggled to get into the driver's seat. I looked around to the cramped backseat to check if Jesse hade help Lynette with her car seat buckle. He did, as usual. I waved as I drove off down the long driveway.

**9 years later….**

My heels clanked noisily as I rushed down the small empty halls of the middle school. Oh, I was so angry I could've murdered somebody! I had gotten the call from the school principle while I was working at the diner. Emily had been nice enough to get Lynette and Jack off the bus for me, even though she watched Indi most of the afternoon. I grabbed my cheap cell phone from the outside pocket of my purse, moving around the pacifiers and the one hundred other random objects I had in there. I slumped the purse back over my shoulder while I walked. I should say that I was speed walking, but that sounds too much like I was jogging around the mall at 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning for exercise, which I wasn't. I would much rather be jogging around the mall than be here, already late for the meeting with the principle because my boss wouldn't give me a goddamn break and because I had one zillion other problems to worry about.

I pressed down on the number two and hit send. The phone rang a bit before one of Jake's friends at the garage answered.

"Yeah, this is The Garage." said the gruff voice. I always thought it was funny that Jake didn't name his garage something else. I guess he was just so happy about actually having a business of his own to give it a real name.

"Put Jake on please." I said impatiently, I hadn't realized how out of breath I was. Either I needed to stop smoking or start exercising. Unfortunately, I had no time, and no desire to do any of those things.

"He's busy." The voice said roughly. I stopped walking, adrenaline rushed through my veins.

"Tell him it's his wife!" I said angrily. I smiled when I heard Jake's voice almost immediately.

"Hi, honey." He sounded distracted. Probably multitasking.

"Hi, can you get home early? Emily has Jack, Lynette, and Indi and I feel bad for damning her with all three of them when she already has three of her own to look after." I could hear the loud goings of the garage at his end of the line.

"Where's Jesse?" Jake asked, suddenly paying very much attention to the conversation.

"The principle's office." I sighed. I looked up and down the empty art decorated walls of the school, I guess teachers as well as students ran out of here as soon as they could.

"Again!? I swear, when that kid gets home, I'm going to pull out my belt, and for real this time!" I smirked and shook my head. Both of our boys had gotten in to trouble many times before, but Jesse held the record for future juvenile delinquent.

"What'd he do?" Jake asked, he was a little bit calmer now, more wary that anything.

"Dun' no yet, I'm already late for the meeting anyway." Jake sighed

"I'll let you go then," he said gently, "I'll pick up the kids from Emily's in a bout' a half' hour. Poor girl, she's probably ready to have a nervous breakdown." I smiled.

"I love you, wish me luck."

"Good luck," Jake said, "I love you too." I shut the phone and continued rushing to get to the principle's office all the way down the corridor. As I reached the open wooden door, I skidded, literally skidded, right into the door frame. I tried not to flinch in pain, my hip had collided with the door knob.

"Mom!" Jesse said, relieved. He was sitting directly in front of Principle Russell Sellers, a man that was very often mistaken as a women from far away. Up close he was worse. I blew the chucks of stray brown hair that had fallen from my careless messy bun and walked into the room with as much dignity as I could muster. My hip killed. As soon a Russell saw me he straightened up, looking more professional than he had a few seconds ago.

"Mrs. Black." He addressed me with a nod, very business like, like he'd never met me before in his life. Though, I had only seen him last Wednesday and two weeks before that too.

"I'm glad you could grace yourself with our presence." I rolled my eyes as he switched from robot mode to I hate you mode.

"Uh…ditto." I dare Jesse to smile, I dare him. He knew how much I hated awkward situations like these. He didn't of course, he was probably going over escape routes in his head, I couldn't blame him. I sat down in the chair next to my son without being asked to, it felt like I was in trouble too. Russell cleared his throat.

"Mrs. Black," he said, leaning forward in his chair and looking me straight in the eyes.

"Russell" I said, playing it cool. I was actually trying to test him, wondering how mad he was.

"Call me Mr. Sellers." He said. I heard Jesse snort, I gave him death glares and he turned his snort into a strangled cough.

"Russell," I repeated myself, I said his name real slow like I was talking to someone stupid. Russell sighed, straitening the already orderly pencils.

"It is only second term and your son had been absent 21 times and tardy 8 times." The room was silent for a moment. I looked at him blankly. I already knew that. What did this have to do with anything?

"What can I say? The kid has a bad immune system." I tried, Russell wasn't amused.

"Why are we here, Russell?" I asked, my tone was very hard. If I had the grades and the attention span, I could have gone to law school, I swear.

"Well, we're not here because of your son's attendance, but I still want you to both try a little harder to get here in the mornings." I sighed loudly.

"You know, Russell, it's not as easy as it looks, being a working parent with four kids and all. My husband and I try the best we can and sometimes we can't always get our kids to school on time or even to school at _all _for that matter. I know it's easy to look down on us from your mighty high horse but I just want you to know that we try." Well, that really knocked him off the horse for a minute.

"Mrs. Black I-" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh please, Russell, call me Delilah. I've known you since Jesse first started going here and this probably won't be the last time I'm in here."

"Delilah, Ms. Taylor, the 7th grade English teacher, has caught your son smoking outside on the track this afternoon while he was supposed to be in lunch." I blinked, then turned my head slowly to look at my son. I'm sure my eyes were un-vegetarian vampire red right now because Jesse sunk down In his chair a bit.

"But Jesse _knows _that smoking is an awful habit and that it can _kill _him right?" I said with clenched teeth. This wasn't directed to Russell but to Jesse, who looked at me with his famous deer in headlights look. He was in _so _much trouble when he got home. I think I'm going to have to evacuate my other children out of the house in fear that Jake will explode.

"Now, the consequences are a week of suspension." I nodded. I had been suspended a couple of times when I was a kid back in Florida, but Jesse was only thirteen, I was probably fifteen when I was sentenced to my first suspension.

"And of course, the punishments at home will be much, _much_ worse."

………………………………...

The only sound in the truck was the loud rumbling engine. Jesse hadn't dared say a word while we drove. I honestly didn't know what to say. I didn't want him to be like me, to make the same mistakes I made. But how do I put that into words? How do I make him understand?

"Where'd you get them?" I asked quietly. I'd have to take this slowly. I will not let him push me away like I pushed away from my mother. Jesse didn't look at me, his arms were crossed and his brown eyes were suddenly very interested with his shoelaces. For a thirteen year old, Jesse was tall for his age. He looked older than he was.

"Your purse," I nodded. It wasn't much harder for me to get my first cigarettes, I only had to ask a friend, but for Jesse it was too easy! This is all my fault.

"How long have you been taking them?" I asked, my voice was still soft. I didn't show any signs of yelling. I was disappointed. I thought Jake and I had taught him to make good decisions.

"About a month." I nodded. I made my face completely calm, but inside, I was screaming. I hadn't even noticed! How could I let this happen?

"Jess, I….when I was a kid, I made some pretty bad choices. I drank and I smoked and I did bad things. I don't want you to make the same bad decisions like I did. I want you to be a happy and healthy kid." Jesse finally made eye contact with me. I'm sure I looked like a monster with my hair a mess and my make-up smudged.

"Now, I know for a fact that you can get cigarettes and drugs and whatever easily, and I can't stop you from it either. You should be able to tell what can hurt you and what can't. Smoking can hurt you." Jesse nodded. I knew he was listening.

"But you do it all the time." He pointed out, "and it hurts you _every _time!" I sighed.

"It hurts _you _every time too." I shot back. Jesse didn't argue with that.

"I'm sorry." I took my eyes off of the road, we were almost to the house.

"I'm sorry too." I said, I tried to pull the guilt trip on him, that always feels one hundred times worse. When I pulled up to the little house Jake's truck was in the drive. I saw Jack and Indi on the screen front porch with pillow cases around their necks. I sighed, they were playing superheroes again.

"Can you not tell dad?" Jesse asked hopefully as we walked to the porch. Indigo and Jack were talking loudly, chasing each other around the porch. I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Not a chance."

**3 Years Later….**

My eyes cracked open a slit as I heard Piper's wail. Out of my children, I think Piper has the loudest cry. She is also the most talkative, even if none of what she is saying makes any sense. Over the last few days I had noticed that there was something slightly off about her. I lifted my head, looking around in the dark. I waited for my eyes to adjust before I did anything else. When they finally did I moved Jake's heavy arm from around my waist.

"Mmmph." Jake groaned, waking up in mid snore.

"Shh, go back to sleep." I muttered, rubbing my eyes as I moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Why are you going?" He muttered into his pillow. I half smiled.

"Can you not hear your daughter hysterically crying?" Jake sighed in relief.

"You can hear that too? My God, I thought I had a brain tumor." I giggled and brushed away the long black hair that had fallen in his face. His eyes were still closed. I loved to watch him while he slept. His face was so peaceful, like all of his troubles were washed away as his head hit the pillow. I started to say something else but Jake started snoring again. I giggled again and pushed myself off of the bed. I tip-toed over the piles of clothes that needed washing and rushed out of the open bedroom door. I keep my bedroom door open specifically for Piper. Jake was relieved when we moved her crib out of our bedroom because he could finally get some sleep. I, on the other hand, wasn't so willing and worried every second I was in bed, which enabled _me_ to get any sleep.

"I'm here, baby." I whispered. Piper looked up at me with watery red eyes. Her arms were reached up to me, wanting me to hold her. I Pulled her up from the crib and held her to my chest. Piper rested her head on my shoulder and cried. Her head felt warm, I sighed and rubbed her back a little. I'd have to take her to the doctor in the morning. I shushed the baby some more, not wanting to wake Indigo, who was operating on little sleep since her new roommate moved in. After Piper quieted down, I moved us both quietly to the cushiony armchair beneath Indi's bed. I moved aside some teddy bears and Lynette's hammy down Barbie dolls, which neither Indi or Piper played with, and sat my fat ass down.

"It's okay, baby girl, you'll be okay." I said soothingly over and over. Piper sniffled and buried her face into my tee-shirt, which was wet with tears and snot. What can I say? Being a mommy is a dirty job.

**2 Years Later…..**

**Indi's Point of View**

"Come on, everybody, dinner's ready!" I sighed and flipped my spelling work book closed, sending my sparkly purple pencil in the air. I could smell spaghetti sauce from the kitchen, it was left over from Jesse's graduation party 4 days ago, so I was pretty tired of it. I walked out of the small bedroom that Piper and I shared and walked down the hallway that lead to both the kitchen and living room. The hallway got brighter and brighter as I neared the kitchen and I heard my older brothers and sister talking loudly. I also heard my mother saying something about not wanting Piper's vocabulary filled with swear words by the age of four, which, honestly, wasn't going to happen if you lived with my family. On top of that I heard my dad yelling at Jesse and Lynette for not emptying the van of their trash after they had borrowed it.

I sighed again and shook my head just as Jack poked his head around the doorframe into the kitchen, looking for me. He gave me a quick smile and stepped into the hallway. For a 14 year old, Jack wasn't _that_ tall. Not as tall as my dad or Jesse anyway. But was still a couple inches taller than me. Though, I had noticed that he was been getting taller and taller these days. When he was with his friends, he seemed so much older to me than he did when he was at home. At home, Jack was my best friend. We did everything together. Jack thinks the reason we are so close is because we were always the youngest to somebody at our house. Always the two who were last thought of. Especially if you have Lynette and Jesse as your older siblings and Piper as your younger sibling.

I smiled back and followed into the packed kitchen. Jesse and my Dad were already at the table, their plates piled with food. Lynette was holding baby Piper, who at 3 years old was just down right _annoying._ My mom looked up from where she was at the counter and smiled at us both.

"There you are! I was starting to get worried, I was ready to send out a search party." Her smile was teasing so I smiled back. My mom wasn't tall at all, Jack even towered over her. Her head reached just above my father's belly button. She looked tired, she always looked tired, but tonight she looked especially tired. Her graying hair was falling out of it's usual messy bun and her work uniform dress was wrinkled. I think Lynette said something to me about her working extra hours at the Diner this afternoon while she was babysitting me. She said that's why she was home so early when she could have been over at Noah Uley's house. Noah was Lynette's 'friend' or that's what Mom and Dad like to tell Piper and me. I know that they are more than just friends, though, he's over our house a lot. Jack and I once caught them kissing on the little couch in the living room, Noah was touching Lynette's boobs, he was practically sucking her face off! I've seen it plenty of times in the movies, I know that's the kind of stuff boyfriend and girlfriend do.

Also, when my parents don't think I'm listening, I hear them talking about Lynette and Noah imprinting on _each other_, I don't know what that means, but I hear them talking about it quite a lot. I think it means sex, but I'm not sure. When my brothers and friends joke about it, I pretend to know what it means. My parents also talk about guys and girls turning into wolves and about vampires living in Washington, like they were discussing the Ouileute legends in detail. When I told Jack this, he told me that Mom and Dad were just talking in code language because they knew I was in the room all along. Every time I try to bring it up, he just tells me to shut up and leave it alone, but I can always see in his eyes that he knows something I don't.

"Do you want meatballs, Hun?" My mother was asking, I looked at her blankly for a minute, still contemplating the meaning of sex and imprinting. What she said finally clicked and I nodded my head yes and I walked over to sit in my chair at the table.

"How was school today?" my dad asked, trying to chew and talk at the same time. Lets see dad, what shall we start with first? While I was on the bus this morning, I was pelted in the back of the head with Mikey Buckley's spit balls. While I was walking to gym, Jen Harrison pushed me, making me crash into Will Clearwater. Then she told the whole fifth grade that we liked each other, which was **not** true. By lunch time, it was only me and my best friend Savanna Ateara at the lunch table.

"Good." I answered.

**Look…..let me break this to you gently……..It will be devastating. I know you've had to put up with me for all these months but…..I can't stop here. There will be more fun soon. PLEASE REVIEW!! I've worked really hard.**


	21. For Aches and Pains All Over

**Be kind, review. ** **Thank you.**

**3 Years Later…**

**Indi's Point of View**

"As soon as my car's fixed, I promise we won't have to be doing this the rest of school." Jack said seriously as we walked down the road to our small neighborhood. I squinted up at him, it was one of those rare sunny days that only happened once a year and mom couldn't pick us up from school. I blew away the sweaty black hair that has fallen in my face and sighed. My jeans felt sticky on my legs and I bet my face was red and disgusting from the heat. Of course, Jack wasn't affected at all by the sun. His expression wasn't uncomfortable at all, he seemed calm, which was a nice change because he hasn't been so nice to me and Piper recently. I looked up at my big brother again and marveled at how tall he was. Jack was almost taller than Jesse, and that was saying something! His arms were muscular and he was thinner now, too. Lynette sometimes likes to tease him about his old baby fat when she comes home to visit. I dragged along my heavy messenger bag in the mud, not really caring whether or not my French homework was ruined. I felt something rough and feverously hot brush against my back, the weight of my bag lifted from my hand.

"Jesus Christ! You're, like, diseased or something!" I looked at Jack with concern. His dark eyes were innocent, a little startled.

"My God, you can carry it if you want, it's your bag." He handed it back, annoyed and continued to walk, but a little faster than before.

"No, no, I mean, you're scorching!" I cried, running to keep up. His legs were so goddamn long! He laughed loudly and looked back at me, his expression playful.

"Is that the new word for 'sexy' in the eighth grade? Scorching? I'd take that as a complement if you weren't my sister." I rolled my eyes, he knew what I meant and was just trying to change the subject. Jack had refused to tell me anything about being a wolf ever since I found out a year ago. Jesse and Lynette told me little also.

"Your questions will be answered soon, Kid, all in good time." Jesse said cryptically one night as I helped him feed Lucy when they were over for dinner.

As we walked passed Papa's house, I saw that Piper was playing with a pink kickball in our front yard three houses down. She wasn't supposed to play outside without anyone around. I sighed and kept walking towards her.

"Hi, guys!" Piper said brightly abandoning her game and running over to us. Jack smiled and she hugged his leg, but I grimaced when she hugged my waist. Jack didn't mind Piper being around as much as I did. In fact, I bet I was the only person in La Push that didn't think she was the cutest kid in Washington.

"Hey!" Said a bright voice I recognized. Jack and I looked over to see Lynette sitting one of the crappy beach chairs that usually lived in our woodshed behind the house. Her black curly hair was wrapped messily on top of her head, some strands were caught in the cheap silver hoops she wore for earrings. Her boobs were hanging out of the blue tank top she was wearing. You couldn't blame her for looking like a hooker though, If I had any boobs, they'd probably be hanging out of my shirt for the world to see too. In her right hand, Lynette held a burning cigarette. I watched as she tried not to blow smoke into our faces after she inhaled one last time before she put it out in the small ash tray that lay on the ground next to her. Lynette's smile was big, and I smiled back. I felt like there was so much I had to tell her, even though I only saw her yesterday afternoon. Jack and I flopped down on the grass on either side of her.

"Piper and I were just hanging out, waiting for you guys to come home." Lynette said conversationally. Lynette and Emily switch off babysitting Piper when Mom is at work and when Jack and I are in school. Though, Lynette has been babysitting more because Mom doesn't want to burden Emily too much.

"Where's Lucy? I thought Jesse was working this afternoon." Jack said as he unzipped his large backpack and took out a pen and a large binder.

"He decided to drop her off with Dad, I guess he's her favorite babysitter. Couldn't imagine why though, he'll just be working on cars all day." Lynette said lazily. I thought it was funny that Dad was more willing to be watching Lucy than bring Piper to work.

"Well, he is her grandfather." I pointed out. "Grandpas are fun." Lynette smiled.

"It must suck for Jess, though, worrying about Lucy all day." Jack said as he doodled on his History homework.

"Yeah." Lynette sighed. I picked black nail polish off of my right thumb nail, thinking about Lucy's mother.

"Why did she leave?" I asked softly. Millie left Jesse and Lucy last year just after Lucy's first birthday. Lucy and Jesse were over every night for supper then. I will always remember the look in Jesse's eyes and it scares me when someone accidentally mentions Millie while Jesse is in the room. Millie and Jesse were happy once, but when Jess proposed when Millie got pregnant with Lucy, everything went downhill from there. They never got married, they never had that happy ending everyone expected them to have, that Jesse expected them to have.

"Cunt." Lynette muttered under her breath so Piper wouldn't hear. Jack sighed and said carefully,

"Some people aren't meant to be parents."

"You mean some people are cowards, she could've at least stuck around for her _daughter_." Lynette fumed. Millie was a touchy subject in our family, the night after Millie left, Delilah and Lynette tracked her down. I don't know what happened, but I know there was a restraining order against Delilah involved. I shook my head, still not understanding how someone could do that. Just leave the only two people that loved you unconditionally.

**2 Years Later….**

**Delilah's Point Of View**

I squinted down at the small print of the cook book I was trying to read. I let out a frustrated groan, dropping the book on to the table.

"Jake! Have you seen my glasses?!" I yelled.

"What?" His grumbling voice yelled from upstairs. I sighed, Jake had been hard of hearing as of late.

"MY GLASSES, HAVE YOU SEEN MY GLASSES?" I screamed. We were silent for a minute. I heard some of the crappy new music kids these days listened to coming from Piper's room. I then heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. I then spotted Jake walking slowly over to me in the kitchen. In his large hands were my cheap three dollar glasses from the drug store in the center of town.

"They were where you always leave them," he said, smiling gently down at me. I looked into his eyes, clueless. I left them everywhere. If I left them in the same spot every time, I've known where they were.

"On the bed." Jake laughed. Then it clicked,

"Oh, yeah." I smiled sheepishly, taking them from his worn hands and placing them on my nose. Then everything came back into focus. I saw every wrinkle on Jake's face now and every letter on the page of the cook book I was reading. I sighed and got back to starting dinner. Jacob read over my shoulder as I looked at the book once more for the ingredients I'd need.

"How could you not read that?" He teased, "The letters are huge." I looked up at him, raising my eyebrows.

"How could you not hear me as I _shouted _up to you?" I shot back. Jake looked down, embarrassed. He was often the butt of many jokes at our house because of his bad hearing. I smiled, brushing back the thick, shoulder length white hair that had fallen in his eyes. His dark eyes met mine and we smiled at the same time. Jake leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, I sighed against him and pulled away. I could see it on Jake's face that he tried not to flinch in pain as he straightened up. His joints has been bothering him.

"What the hell kind of kiss was that?" I asked, my hands on my hips. Jake chuckled and leaned down again, this time kissing me long and hard, including tongue. Of course Jesse and Lucy chose that same moment to let themselves nosily into the house. I pulled away from Jake again and I heard a soft groan escape his lips as we both walked to the front door. I stopped and went on my tip-toes to quickly kiss his cheek before we continued on, feeling bad that I had made him hurt worse.

"Lucy!" I cried as I saw my granddaughter, I opened my arms wide and she ran to me. I straightened up with her still in my arms. Lucy started talking gibberish the second we made eye contact and I pretended I knew exactly what she was saying.

"Really!?" I asked her, she giggled and nodded her head. I suspected that she was talking about her day since she said "color" about a million times.

"What? No Hello for me?" Jesse said from the doorway, pretending to be hurt.

"Hello." Jake chuckled and patted Lucy's head before he left the room and walked slowly into the living room.

"I see you every day." I said to my first son, rolling my eyes as I heard Jake switch the TV on to a football game. Jesse raised his eyebrows.

"You see Lucy everyday." he pointed out. I laughed and turned away and carried Lucy into the kitchen.

"I love Lucy more." I teased. Jesse followed me into the kitchen. I placed baby Lucy in a chair at the table and grabbed one of the sippy cups I had on the drying rack, filling it with milk.

"Here you go, Luc," She smiled up at me and grabbed the cup with her small chubby hands. I brushed her black curly hair away from her eyes and went back to what I was doing before I needed my glasses.

"Where is everybody? By now, everything is usually loud and obnoxious." Jesse said, sitting down in a chair next to Lucy. I grabbed a big pot from one of the cabinets and placed it on the stove.

"Jack and Indi are going to be late, they're at Seth Clearwater's son's art show over at the high school and Lynette and Noah are going to be late also, there're at some music whatever in Seattle and Piper is in her room wishing she were a teenager." Jesse laughed.

"So I guess it's just going to be us for a while." I sighed, "But there's nothing wrong with that." I said, then an idea struck me. I turned to Jesse. I wished Lynette and Indi were here so we could all gang up on him together, but tonight I'd have to do my best on my own.

"Hey," I said casually, "Why don't you go out tonight. Have a break, Dad and I will take care of Lucy." Jesse's expression changed. His eyes became bleak, his face transformed into a mask of depression. I wanted to let the subject drop but I didn't.

"I…I'm not ready. Not for that." I restrained myself from going over to hug him. But this kind of pain couldn't be fixed by a kiss and a hug, I couldn't help my son they way I have been throughout his childhood.

"I mean, go out with your friends! Adam Ateara or Zack Roney! Someone." Jake made his way back into the kitchen, taking a look at Jesse's face, he looked at me searchingly. He knew I had said something to upset him.

"What did you say?" He asked quietly. I sighed in frustration and told him. Jake then turned to Jesse and looked at him hard.

"Do what your mother says." He instructed. I snorted and rolled my eyes.

"Great parenting, Sweetheart." I said sarcastically, patting his back. Jake smiled down at me, shaking his head.

"Go out and have fun, Jess, it'll do yea good." Jake said softly. Jesse looked at us both. Jake looked pleadingly at his son.

"It's been almost three years, Son. You have to let her go." I didn't expect _that _bomb to drop. I looked up at my husband, shocked. That is what we had all been thinking anyway, but non of us had ever said it out _loud _before. But I knew Jake was right. Jesse had to get on with his life. I knew he only stayed strong for Lucy, but he himself couldn't be depressed like this forever, it would ruin him.

"What would you do if mom left _you _and the _kids_, Dad?" Jesse shot back. I could see his hands start to tremble and I thanked God that Jesse was able to control his phasing.

"Lucy, Honey, go annoy aunty Piper." I said softly, placing my hand on her warm back. Her eyes were wide as she looked at her dad. Even at three years old, almost four, Lucy could tell something was wrong.

"Kay." Lucy slid off of the chair, which was almost taller than her, and ran out of the room with sippy cup in hand. She look back once before she let herself into Piper's bedroom.

"That's different." Jake said, his voice horse. "Your mother and I are meant to be together. I _imprinted _on her."

"So you're saying I didn't love Millie as much as you love Mom?" What am I? Invisible?

"No," Jacob said carefully, "I'm not saying that at all."

"In hippy terms, we're 'soul mates.'" I said. The room was silent as Jesse glared at Jake. I guess that wasn't a good tension breaker.

"You'll find your other half, Jess." I said gently. "And she'll love you more than Millie ever could. Now, please, for the sake of your poor old parents. No, for your poor old dad and me, go out and have fun!"

**4 Months Later…**

**Indi's Point of View.**

I pulled my headphones out of my ears and sat up cautiously, listening for signs of life in the sleeping house. When I was sure that Jake and Delilah were definitely in their room and unconscious, I rolled off of my messy, unmade bed with no sound. I shoved my cell phone and iPod in my hoodie pocket and tip-toed around my small bedroom looking for the beloved rainbow Converse high tops that I had inherited from Lynette. The small fan on my bedside table was making all of the posters and funny notes from my friends that I had taped on every inch the walls to make flapping noises. I fished around for my sneakers quietly in the piles of clothes that I had dumped on the floor. At last, I spotted a black and white checkered shoelace on top of my old vanity under one of my favorite tee-shirts. I seized it and continued to look for it's partner. It took me fifteen minutes to find my other shoe and I was already late enough as it is! I sighed and carried my shoes out of my room, flipping the light switch off. I walked down the dark hallway leading to the living room and kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye I saw picture after picture of my family and the pack and I smiled as I came to my favorite. It was just before he died.

It was taken four Christmases ago . My aunts, Rachel and Rebecca, were on either side of Billy. My dad was sitting at his feet. Jack was behind Rebecca, tall and awkward. Jesse was next to Jack and had Lucy on his shoulders. Lynette was next to Dad and looked a little drunk. I was directly behind Billy with Piper on my right side. I remember that my cousins couldn't make it that year with their kids, which was secretly okay with me because the house would have been more crowded than it already was. My mother was the one taking the picture. We were all smiling happily. Now that I look back, I can see that Billy knew he was going to die. He made sure he spent time with each of us separately that year, he took me fishing.

I passed by the photograph and made my way into the semi-dark kitchen, my mom always left on the light built into the microwave so Piper could find her way around if she had a bad dream or something.

I opened the refrigerator as quietly as possible and grabbed a package of raw hotdogs from the drawer. I hoped they wouldn't be too annoyed with me for being late when they saw that I had come with food. I shut the refrigerator and grabbed the unopened bag of chips my Dad had left conveniently on the counter for me. Dad knew I was going to the bonfire tonight. Ever since my car accident a month ago, Delilah had watched me like a hawk. She made sure she knew exactly where I was every minute of the day. It didn't really help that the night I crashed Dad's truck into tree, I didn't tell anybody I was leaving in the first place and I was just a tad bit drunk. The only reason Dad let me go tonight without telling Mom was because the beach was within walking distance. No driving was necessary. My insides squirmed as I heard spontaneous groaning coming from my parent's bedroom upstairs. The groaning was also accompanied with a chorus of soft banging that disturbed the peace and quiet of the old house.

"Oh, my God!" I whispered, disgusted, as I carried the food out of the kitchen and out of the house. I shut the door behind me and quickly slipped on my Converse before I ventured out. I started off down the road. A light breeze stroked my long raven black hair. I inhaled like I was sniffing cocaine. The air smelt like salt water. I remember when I was a little kid and my Dad would take walks with me to the beach. He would always comment on the smell of the air.

"My second favorite smell." He'd say to me.

"What's your first?" I'd always ask. He'd smile at me and reply.

"Your mother." My mother had a nice smell. Kind of like chocolate, coffee, and tobacco all mixed into one. She was my favorite smell too.

I pulled my hood over my head as I passed more tiny houses like mine. Being a wolf changed me, well, it changes everybody. If I had been walking down this street at the same hour a year ago, I would have been scared out of my wits. I've been terrified of the dark my whole life. It was a little secret that only my family knew. But there are scarier things than the dark, becoming a wolf helped me realize that. I smiled in triumph as I saw the fire light from a far and I made my way onto the beach. The waves crashed loudly and heavy wind blew into my ear. My hair whipped around my head as I neared the group of people around the fire. My heart fluttered as my gaze rested upon Oliver Uley. The day after I first phased into a wolf, Oliver and I imprinted on each other. Lynette and Noah brought me over to Sam and Emily's house with them for dinner that night. I knew Oliver well but never in my life have I thought of him as more than a friend. He was my sister's husband's little brother then, now he was my whole life.

"Hey family!" I said as I came into view. Everyone looked around and a chorus of greetings reached my ears. I made my way around Lynette and Jesse who were laughing together about some inside joke they shared. Oliver smiled at me gently and I kissed him softly on the lips before I took my seat between him and Savanna.

"Where's Jake? I thought he was coming tonight." Embry said, laughing as somebody said something funny that I couldn't hear. I looked over to my right to see Sam, Embry, and a couple more of the elders in plastic chairs. Oliver took my hand and I leaned against his chest.

"I forgot it was bring your elder to the bonfire night." I joked shrugging my shoulders, everyone laughed.

"No, seriously. I think we should have a moment of silence for my Dad, he's busy sacrificing his body to the devil. But I brought chips and more hotdogs to help ease your new inner turmoil." I smiled and held up the food I had in my hands. I handed Oliver the hotdogs, because he made them better than anyone else, and I passed around the bag of chips. As Oliver cooked the hotdogs, I rested my head on his shoulder and listened to the loud chatter around me. Excited about the fact that I was free for the couple of hours my mother was asleep.

**Around 1 Year Later.**

**Delilah's Point of View.**

I was sitting at my kitchen table across from my older sister. I studied her face carefully and decided that I wanted to shot her in the face. She was just as beautiful as when I first moved in with her 28 years ago. Her skin was perfect, not a wrinkle in sight, and her eyes we practically hypnotic. I know it's silly of me to be just a little bit jealous but, in all honesty, I was. Bella sat up straight with her hands folded on the table and looked at me with a small smile on her face. I raised my eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, self-consciously. I looked down at the mug of coffee in my hands, wrinkling my nose as the hot steam hit my face. I saw Bella shake her head out of the corner of my eye.

"It's nothing, I'm just…is it stupid of me to be a little bit jealous right now?" I looked up, shocked. We made eye contact and I saw that she wasn't joking around.

"Jealous of what?" Certainly not me. Bella looked down at her lap, the big rock on her left hand glittered in the dim light of the automatic fan on the ceiling above.

"You're so lucky, Delilah." She said quietly. I nodded because she was right. I was lucky. I had a wonderful hard working husband that loved me. Five beautiful children and a granddaughter that just learned how to say "mother fucking bitch" thanks to said children.

"You're jealous of me?" I asked, incredulous. I let out a short laugh and looked down at myself. I was still in my waitress uniform, a coffee stain was just above my name tag. My long gray and brown hair was down for once. I had freckles all over me from years and years of being in the sun. My cheap square drugstore glasses were a little crooked on my nose.

"No, forget I said anything. I'm being silly." She waved her hand in the air as she said this. I looked at her warily. After years and years of giving me advice when I needed it, I definitely owed it to Bella. So I sighed, took a sip from my coffee, and looked at Bella patiently as I placed my warm hand on hers.

"No, I want to hear what you were going to say." Plus, I was dying to know _why _she was so jealous. Not that I didn't feel just a little bit flattered. Jesus, I'm such a bad sister. Well, it's a good thing that I feel bad about being a bitch. I'll just comfort myself with that fact. Bella sighed, sending a minty fresh breeze of cold air my way.

"It would hurt Edward so much if he heard this." She looked down to her lap again. God, she was acting like she had an affair with somebody.

"I find myself thinking about being human again, I wonder what it would've been like for us to have children and to grow old together. Of course, I don't regret a thing, I love Edward more than anything. But I miss feeling the breeze on my face and feeling the cold ocean on my skin. I want to bump into something and feel the split second of pain. I want to feel things again, but I can't. The worse part is, I can remember being human like it was yesterday. That's why you're so lucky. You get to have all of those things." I squeezed Bella's hand comfortingly.

"You shouldn't feel horrible about those thoughts," I said softly, patting her hand. And I was right. If I were ever a cold hard rock, I miss those things too.

"And I bet you're not the only one to think about being human again, if it were me that was the vampire, I'd be thinking that too." Bella smiled. I feel really, really bad that I just wanted to shot her in the face.

"Thank you, Delilah." She said sincerely. Just as I was about to speak again, the old telephone behind Bella's head started to ring. I sighed and got up from the table. I looked down for a second and noticed my wedding ring. The tiny diamond glittered in the light. It wasn't as extravagant as Bella's, in fact it looked like something Piper and Lucy would ware for dress up, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I laughed as walked around the table, gesturing to my body.

"I'm sure you're very jealous of this." I laughed, Bella laughed too, shaking her head.

"I think you're getting more and more beautiful as you age, plus, you've always been curvy. You're more like Renee than I am, I got my body from Charlie's side of the family." I pursed my lips and tried not smile.

"Thanks, Sweetie." I muttered as I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I said into the receiver.

"Mom?" A tense voice sighed from the other end. A thousand horrible thoughts ran through my head. My stomach twisted into a tornado of fear, it was Indigo.

"Indi!? What's wrong?" I asked, sounding like a concerned parent.

"Are you okay?!" she asked, "Something's wrong, make sure you and Piper don't leave the house until I call again, okay?"

"Indigo, what's going on?" I asked sternly. I held my breath waiting for an answer. It had something to do with the pack I knew it, more than half my family could be in serious trouble right now. Bella was turned around in her chair facing me, her eyes were wide.

"There's a vampire somewhere close. Noah's sent Cole, Nicky, and Jack to-" I cut her off and I looked at Bella who was listening to the whole conversation, her eyes wider than before, probably just realizing what her being here has caused.

"There's no danger, Indi Honey, it's just Auntie Bella." Indi was quick to reply, she probably didn't process what I just said.

"Yes, Ma, there is danger- wait…what?!" I sighed in relief.

"It's just Bella, Sweetheart, tell Noah that it was a false alarm. Well, not a _false _alarm, but an alarm." I could hear Indi talking to somebody on her end. Then it sounded like the phone dropped on the ground a couple of times. Then I heard a deep voice.

"Delilah?" my son-in-law said seriously.

"Hi, Noah." I sighed. I bet Indi was arguing with Noah and finally got frustrated with him enough to let him talk to me.

"There is no danger, Hun, my sister, Bella, has just come to town for a visit." I heard Noah breathe into the receiver.

"Well, that's definitely a relief." He said, his voice a little less gruff. I laughed nervously, my heart beat slowing down.

"You almost gave me a heart attack." I admitted, I held my hand over my heart and sighed again for what seemed like the hundredth time. Noah laughed too.

"So….are you and Lynette coming over for dinner tomorrow night? I'm making chili spaghetti!" I knew he liked my chili spaghetti, of course I couldn't beat his mother Emily's cooking, but that was something I often threw in her face.

"Ah…yeah, I think so." I nodded.

"Good."

**Later that Night**

**Jake's Point of View**

I closed my eyes and winced in pain as I bent down to reach for the laundry basket, but straitening back up was more painful. Of course, I couldn't just age gracefully, oh no, I had to be cursed just like my father before me. I had to be the one who took about a million pills a day for aches and pains all over. Half of them for conditions that I couldn't even pronounce. One of Indi's tee-shirts and two of Delilah's bras rustled in the basket, disturbing my thoughts, and I jumped, startled. Lucy turned over, her sleep briefly disturbed by the basket being in motion, and nestled herself into one of my red tee-shirts.

"What the hell?" I whispered, cocking my head to the side and laughing to myself quietly. Lucy's wild curly hair was all over the place, her sweet round face sweaty. I chuckled as I walked all the way down the hall, carefully holding the basket steady. I carried the basket, holding my grandaughter and my clean underwear into the small front room that was called the "TV" room when my children were younger. I stopped at the door frame, ducking my head because I'd bump my head if I didn't. I spotted Bella standing behind the couch, she appeared to be looking out the window into the front yard, but when I came closer I saw that she was looking at the many pictures Delilah placed on the window seat instead of a pillow.

"I ah…don't know if you met my granddaughter, Lucy." I said softly, my voice horse. Bella turned around and I was again hit with the same shock as I was when I saw her earlier today. Bella's features were perfect in every way. When Delilah told me that she was coming for a visit this morning as we were getting dressed for work, I knew she look like the Bella I had first saw on First Beach that day long ago when I was a boy, but half of me expected to see that she aged just as much as Delilah and I had. But I knew that was not possible.

"Oh, my God, Jacob, she's beautiful!" Bella exclaimed softly, she placed the picture frame back on the window seat and walked over to me with exaggerated slowness. When Bella reached us, I lowered the basket to her eye level. I knew Bella had enough control to not hurt the baby girl. Bella's cold hand stroked Lucy's hair gently then patted my arm. I didn't feel anything inside me like I would've when I was sixteen. Bella's cold touch didn't trigger anything inside me and that made me smile. My heart belonged to Delilah. Bella's topaz colored eyes met mine and she smiled. Bella started to speak again but I could only hear random sounds come out of her mouth. I knit my eyebrows together in concentration. I felt my face go red. Bella was speaking to quietly for me to hear her, my goddamned hearing, another curse that Billy had passed on to me.

"I'm sorry, Bella, you're going to have to speak up." I said, I hated saying that to people. It made me feel older. Bella stopped talking and smiled. I expected her to laugh but she didn't. I sighed.

"I said, why is she sleeping in the laundry basket!" She shouted. I laughed.

"It's okay, my hearing isn't _that _bad, you don't have to yell like that." she rolled her eyes just like the human Bella would have done and waited for me to answer her question.

"Um…I don't know, I just found her in here." I said this just as Indi stomped into the room. She had little white earphones in her ears but I couldn't hear the music blasting through them like I could've when Jesse was her age, though I suspected that the volume was cranked up as high as it would go. Indi wore a simple black tee-shirt and skinny jeans rolled up to her knees, showing off her favorite pair of Chuck's.

"Why is your niece sleeping in the laundry basket?" I asked my daughter sternly. Indi stopped walking, making sure that she was far enough away from Bella that it could be comfortable for both her (the wolf) and Bella (The vampire) to be in the same room together.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about her," Indi said, frowning. I raised my eyebrows, becoming angry.

"You forgot about her….you forgot about your four year old niece." I said, shocked. Indi shrugged.

"We were playing hide and seek. She was hiding, I was seeking. Then I got distracted." she admitted. She looked me in the eyes and said quickly,

"Don't worry, we agreed that she couldn't hide anywhere outside." I then sighed, not in the mood to yell at her. I shook my head.

"I'll take her, if you want." she offered.

"No, it's all right. She'll be sleeping for a while if nothing disturbs her." Indigo then shrugged again and started walking away.

"What have you been doing this whole time?" I called after her. Indi turned toward me again, this time annoyed.

"Just planning creative ways to end my life." Indi replied sarcastically, it took a minute for me to register that. Indi started to walk away again,

"Wait…What?" I asked. Indi spun around,

"Nothing Dad! Okay? I love my life!" Indigo said loudly, her voice echoing around the room. Then she walked away from me and Bella completely. Bella looked at me, confused.

"It's okay, she's not really going to kill herself." I reassured her, "I'm just going to set her up in the bedroom." I said, gesturing to Lucy. I then walked passed Bella into my bedroom.

"My god, they're all bipolar!" I grumbled to myself. I willneverunderstand teenage girls.


	22. ForgetMeNot Tailored Curtains

**Are you getting sick of me yet? I hope not. Reviews are kind. I hope I made sure there wasn't as much confusion with ages, I got a comment on that. Well, enjoy. **

"Mom?" I looked up at the ceiling in wonder, momentarily distracted by the sweet sounding familiar voice. I sat with Charlotte in the one of the corner booths at the dinner in a dark purple ball gown, you know, the kind princess's wear and shit. We had been chain-smoking and watching Tom, the dishwasher, prance around the place in many different colorful costumes for hours. Occasionally commentating on how awful his dark mess of curly hair went with one of the outfits, or suggesting that he walk like a ballerina so he'd look more flamboyant. It was fun making Tom look like an idiot, I was enjoying myself quite a lot. What was even better about this was the fact the Tom seemed to be enjoying himself as well.

My eyes shot open and my stomach twisted with fear as they adjusted to the darkness of mine and Jake's downstairs bedroom. It wasn't the thunder that woke me though, it was Piper. Some way, somehow, Piper had managed to maneuver herself in between Jake and I. Which must have been difficult to do because Jake's warm arms were wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Hi." I whispered into the silence, my thoughts disorientated. That was the weirdest dream! I stared up at the ceiling, hoping to God that Piper hadn't noticed that I was wearing only the short skimpy see-through dress that I had picked up from Victoria's Secret when Lynette and I had been shopping in Seattle. Since three of my children had moved out and started their own lives, ( My eldest son, Jesse, who is 25 and has a child of his own to look after. My eldest daughter, Lynette, who is 23 years old now, is married, and expecting a baby due next July. My second son, Jack, is 21 and is a student at Washington State.) and Indi, who is now 16, imprinted on Oliver Uley last year and is spending all of her time with him, Jake and I have been having more sex.

"Hi," A deep raspy voice and a sweet sounding high voice replied at the same time. I rolled over on my shoulder to face them. Jacob's strong arms were wrapped protectively around Piper's thin body. Piper's head was just below Jake's chin and they both stared at me with the same big dark brown eyes. More thunder roared overhead and Piper buried her face into Jake's pillow. I took her hand and squeezed, Jake stroked her thin black hair absentmindedly as he slowly fell back to sleep. Thunderstorms always made Jake sleepy, Jack and Lynette were the same way. Some people have the amazing power of sleeping like a rock all the way through them, which I remember my brother being able to do. I could hear the pouring rain outside, it seemed like our little house couldn't stand the pressure and shook with every burst of thunder. Lightning momentarily lit the whole house better than our light bulbs could ever do, that was my favorite part of the storm, the lightning. When everything quieted down and the only sounds we could hear was the rain beating down on the roof and Jacob's snoring, Piper started to speak.

"Did you and Daddy have sex?" How the fuck does she even know what that means? I sighed, God, I'm such a bad mother.

"How do you even know what that means?" I asked, exasperated. Piper shrugged, her dark eyebrows rising.

"I hear things." I laughed.

"You mean you were ease dropping." I corrected her. I should have probably expected my 10 year old to know this knowledge by now, having four older siblings and all. But I always hope that she'll be innocent for the rest of her life, she was my baby after all.

"Indi and Lynette say it's their favorite thing to do and the Jesse jokes about it when he thinks Lucy and I aren't in the room. I don't know exactly what happens, just what people say. Plus, the kids at school know what it is, and I feel like an idiot when they think _I_ know what it is!" I frowned. Maybe it was time for the talk. But I wouldn't do it tonight.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, Dear, but I will tell you that you should wait until you are at least 30 to have sex." Piper nodded as if this were a logical thing to say.

"But Indi and Lynette and Jack and Jesse have all had it and they're not 30 yet!" She replied, she looked confused. I sighed again, thinking quickly.

"Your brothers and sisters are screw ups." I said, laughing inwardly. If Piper ever repeated that, I'm sure I'll be forgiven, this was her innocence I was talking about here. And I know that Jack and Jesse are particularly protective of their little sister.

"Did you wait until you were 30?" No

"Yes, I was actually 35, I think the church should name me a saint." I smiled at her and kissed her forehead as more thunder rumbled.

"Go to sleep, you're driving me nuts!" I teased, she giggled, and closed her eyes with a small smile on her face.

………………………………...

It was around four in the morning and Jake and I were about to rip Piper's head off. She kicked me 11 times and punched Jake in the face twice. And all this was done in her sleep! After I woke up for the second time in ten minutes, I knew it was time to get her the hell out. I nudged her non to gently until she opened her eyes.

"You have to go into your own bed." I whispered in her ear. Jake yawned, his weary brown eyes half open.

"I'll carry her in." he offered, his raspy voice thin and tired. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. I gave him a teasing smile as I pulled Piper out of the bed.

"No, I don't want you to break a hip on the stairs or something." I said, leading Piper to the door. Jake sighed and laid his head back down on the pillow. Closing his eyes, he said.

"You're so mean to me!" I was joking! He wasn't old, old, he was just old_er_.

"It's because I love you." Jake snorted.

"Humph, well, you know those new curtains you were so excited about? They are ugly. I love you." I loved those curtains! He said he liked them! I can't believe this.

"Well, you know what? You're just going to have to masturbate for now on because I don't want to take part in any more sexual activities with you, and me and my _beautiful _curtains will be very happy together. Hey, maybe I'll make them into an outfit. Get used to Forget-Me-Not tailored curtains, Buddy." I was glad at that moment that Piper was leaning on me more than half unconscious.

"No. Please fuck me, I'll do whatever you want." Jake was sitting up now, looking quite worried. I laughed manically and practically dragged Piper upstairs and into the little pink bedroom that used to be Lynette's room. After Piper was safe in bed, I crept back down the stairs, smiling to myself. I remember one time when my older kids were much younger and I threatened not to have sex with Jake for two years, it only lasted a couple of days. I know, we're sick. I tip-toed through the tiny kitchen and living room, trying to quietly make my way into the bedroom were a very distraught Jacob lay. When I got to the door frame I ran and jumped into the warm bed. Jake stared at me patiently. I smiled and patted his arm, settling myself close to him under the quilt.

"I'm sorry I made another old person joke." I said reluctantly. Jake cracked a smile and brushed away the chunk of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail from my face.

"I'm sorry I called your curtains ugly, I should have said they were unappealing, the word ugly was a bit harsh." Jake said with a goofy smile. I shook my head and playfully hit him in the arm. Jake laughed and took my arm, kissing my palm.

"Ha Ha, you're just a barrel of laughs. You should carry around a little drum set where ever you go" I said sarcastically. Jake mimed hitting two drums and then the symbol afterward. I giggled, playfully swatting his hands away.

"Oh, and I didn't mean it when I said you had to masturbate for now on. That would suck for me." Jake laughed and kissed me softly on the lips. I sighed and he laced his fingers through mine, we laid in silence, staring at each other.

"Yeah. I'm not going to be able to fall asleep again." I admitted, I wanted to though. Really, really, bad. I knew I would pay for it in the morning if I didn't fall back to sleep again.

"Do you want to have sex?" Jake's expression was hopeful. I had no idea how he could be horny enough. I groaned.

"Ugh, that's sounds horrible." I turned over, but nestled myself into his chest so not to hurt his feelings. Jake wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Can you give me a massage though?" I asked, this time, I was the hopeful one. Jake snorted, his warm breath on my neck.

"You had your chance." He said. He was so mean to me!

"You're really old, if you were a dog, you'd be dead!" I replied icily.

"The curtains in the living room look like shit." He shot back.

**1 Year and 3 Months later…**

**Delilah's Point of view**

"Hello family!" Jake's bright deep voice called loudly throughout the house. I smiled to myself as I heard his slow heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor in the front living room. In the last 30 or so years we've been married, I've sort of memorized his little routines. He'd come home from work everyday at 5:00 p.m. He'd stomp around the living room, putting his coat in the closet, checking the mail on the coffee table. Then, he'd come into the kitchen, look around with a small smile on his face, and make his way over to me (I'm usually at the stove) and kiss me softly on the lips. When Doug was alive, he'd usually stop to greet her first before doing everything else. Jacob made his way into the kitchen and pecked me on the lips softly.

"How was your day?" I asked as he grabbed paper bowls and plastic eating utensils from the counter and passed them around to our kids at the table, who were talking in very loud voices to each other due to the intense poker game they were playing.

"Not much. Mr. Eden's car broke down again and the new vending machines came in today." Jake said, talking over Indi and Piper who were arguing over something that I didn't care about.

"Isn't this, I don't know, the fourth time Mr. Eden's car broke down?" I asked, as I stirred around the corn chowder I had made. I think it's time for that man invest in a new vehicle. Jake groaned as he sat down beside Jesse, who was sitting quietly, occasionally helping Lucy with the game.

"It's the sixth, actually." Jake chuckled, "But he likes to give tips so I'm not complaining." I smiled and brought over the big pot to the middle of the kitchen table just as Piper and Indi started arguing.

"God, I just want to set you on fire!" Indi said angrily as she swatted Piper's hands away from her. I didn't see what Piper had done, but I guessed she unexpectedly slapped Indi in the face.

"Sorry, I slipped." I groaned.

"That's a load of crap, Piper. Sit down and leave poor Indi alone!" Jake said sternly, though, I could see a small smile on his face.

"You guys are going to have to finish playing after dinner." I said as Lynette and I scooped out bowls to everyone. Lynette then sat down in front of Megan's highchair and began feeding her soup, because otherwise, Megan would have made a huge mess. Before Megan was born I could never see Lynette as a mother, now she is 6 months pregnant with he second baby and I'm finding myself being more proud of her everyday. Once everyone was situated, I finally sat down myself. I loved it when everyone was home. Jack had just finished with school and is back in La Push for the winter. This had been the first dinner in a couple of days that Indi has been home for. It was Wednesday, so Lucy and Jesse were over. Lynette and Megan were here without Noah tonight because he had to work late. And Piper, Piper is always here for dinner. I looked around at everyone, everything was so colorful, so loud. I loved it.

"I was thinking about going hiking this summer," Jack said, smiling. Jake and Jesse looked up from their dinners, beaming. My whole family was into nature stuff like hiking and fishing and what not, probably because they practically lived outside from, I don't know, being wolves. Except Jake was no longer a wolf, I guess he is just weird. Anyways, out of everyone in the family, Jake, Jesse, and Jack liked to hike the most.

"I'm in, if you want me." Jess offered, Jake nodded agreeing, taking a napkin from the small basket in the middle of the table and wiping his mouth.

"Yeah. Definitely." Jack replied. "would anyone else like to join us?" Jack looked around the table, probably expecting us to jump up and down with joy because we've just been included in days of smelly, unwashed, hell. I smiled but shook my head no. Jack didn't look too disappointed.

"Lucy?" She stuck her tongue out in disgust. He turned to his next victims.

"Indigo? Piper?" Indi looked up startled, I cocked my head to the side, looking at my 17 year old daughter. Indi shook her head no and took a sip of her can of coke. Piper shrugged, as if she didn't care whether she went or she didn't.

"How about you Lynette?" Jesse asked, a twinkle in his eyes. Lynette burst out laughing, which made Megan jump.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked her brothers, "Have you seen The Blair Witch Project? I am not going hiking anytime soon." The whole table laughed at that, including baby Megan, who didn't understand what was happening.

"Okay, so I guess it's just going to be the men and possibly Piper that are going to be hiking this summer." Jake said, rising his spoon to his mouth with slightly trembling fingers and consuming his soup. Everyone ate their dinner in silence fore a minute.

"Can we get a puppy?" Piper asked unexpectedly. Jake and I made eye contact, I shook my head slightly just as he nodded a little bit. I sighed, If we got a dog I'd be the one that took care of it.

"Puppy! Puppy!" Megan squealed happily. Lynette raised her eyebrows at me in a way that said, _are you going to let them win? _

"I think a dog would be nice." Jack said absentmindedly.

"You don't even live here!" I said, sighing. I looked over at Indi, who was playing with her soup. She looked slightly nauseated. She didn't seem interested in this conversation at all and she was one the people that should be affected the most if we got a dog. She loved animals.

"Indi, honey, what do you think?" She looked up for a second, not meeting my eyes. That got me worried.

"Yeah, whatever, dogs are okay. May I be excused?" I nodded, speechless. Indi got up from the table, pausing to ruffle Megan's hair.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, concerned. Indi had pushed her chair in and walked swiftly to the door.

"Yeah, I'm just not that hungry. I'm going to hangout for a while, but I'll be back soon." Indi grabbed her coat, hat, and gloves from the counter and walked out the back door. Before closing the door, she gave me a strained smile. Jake and I made eye contact, I raised one eyebrow. So much for my family dinner. I'll have to watch her more closely.

**2 Years Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

"Cut you bastards!" I ordered the thick thorny vines that had grown up the front door. I had been in the yard for about a half-hour now, trimming this and replanting that. It was the annoying vines that really got to me.

"God damn, mother fuckers!" I yelled loudly. My hands sweating on the handles of the large scissor-like devices. I let go of the right handle and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. I kept grumbling to myself and attempting to kill the vines until I heard stifled giggles from behind me. I turned around clumsily, my messy bun wilting. I brushed away the stray gray hairs that had fell in my face.

"Oh, Hey!" I greeted Piper and the group of girls that followed her. Piper gave me a small smile. Her best friend Vanessa waved pleasantly, but the two girls that walked slightly behind my daughter and her friend only grimaced at me.

"Mom, this is Mary and Riley. They're in mine and Vanessa's group in science class." I smiled at them both, I think I smiled like this professionally. It was my polite smile, not too cold but not too nice either. I often used it on my boss or the tourists that came into the diner. Piper had told me about these girls. They were, and I'm dead serious, as Mean Girls as it sounds "_The Barbie's_." These girls were mean and bossy and they often made my baby girl feel like shit. They deserved more than the polite smile.

"It's very nice to meet you both." I said with my teeth clenched. Piper and Vanessa walked closer with the two Barbie's close behind.

"What are you doing home?" Piper asked curiously, momentarily forgetting her discomfort from the Barbie's being at her home. I smiled at her.

"I'm taking a mental health day today." I sighed, Vanessa chuckled.

"How is cutting vines good for your mental health?" She asked. I chuckled too, I really liked Vanessa. She was really a good friend to Piper and she was like one of the family. Plus, she was Emily and Sam's neighbor, which made her house within walking distance. No wasting gas!

"It really isn't, I just had nothing to do." I shrugged. Mary and Reilly were whispering to each other, Mary giggled at something. Piper laughed and jokingly said,

"You're a psycho!" I laughed too, I couldn't disagree with her.

"She probably got fired or something." Mary whispered, it was barely audible, but I could hear it all the same. What little disrespectful bitches those girls were.

"Well, there are snacks in the cabinet above the stove, drinks are in the fridge," I said tightly, pretending I hadn't heard them. Vanessa smiled at me and lead the two newcomers into the house. Piper hung back to talk to me.

"How'd you two get stuck with those tool boxes?" I asked in a hushed whisper. Piper shrugged looking down at her hammy down sneakers.

"God, they make me want to kill an infant!" She said frustrated. I smiled sympathetically, patting her shoulder comfortingly.

"I know, Sweetie." I sighed. Piper sighed too, her shoulders hunching.

"We better get started on that project, it's due Monday." I nodded and patted her head. Piper started to head for the door but stopped and turned back.

"Oh, and can you keep the profanities on the down low?" I laughed.

"I'll try."

Piper went into the house and I continued to do yard work. I had given up on the vines, thinking I could make Jake or Jesse to do it. I dropped the big scissors and had moved on to the weeds that had grown near the birdbath at the edge of forest that was behind the house. After a few minutes, I finally straightened up after hearing a car in the driveway. I turned, it was Lynette. When she spotted me in the backyard, she waved, but her expression was confused. She turned off the engine and opened the door, hopping down on the rocky driveway. Slamming the door shut she walked around to the passenger's side and opened the door, moving forward the seat so Megan and Max could get out. I laughed as my four year old granddaughter ran to me, hugging me like she hasn't seen me in years when we only saw each other yesterday. Lynette slammed the passenger side door and walked toward me with a sleepy Max in her arms.

"What are you doing home?" She asked as she rubbed her two years olds back. I shrugged.

"I had the flu." I replied, laughing a little. Lynette laughed too and bounced Max on her hip. I walked toward them and kissed Max on the head.

"Come inside with me, you can set up Max on the couch if he wants to sleep more." I said, leading the way to the back sliding doors.

"You did a good job on the front yard, it looks…cleaner." I snorted. I think she was the only one that could see a difference. I opened the sliding door with Lynette behind me. Megan ran ahead of us, looking for Piper. When we walked out of the living room into the kitchen, I saw Piper and the other girls at the kitchen table. Megan was sitting on Vanessa's lap, giggling as she tickled her. Lynette gave the two new girls a big smile. Piper moved aside a few sheets of paper and introduced the Barbie's to Lynette,

"Um…this is my sister Lynette and my nephew Max….that's my niece Megan." Piper said, pointing to Megan. Megan waved her little hands enthusiastically. It was when she did this that she reminded me so much of Lynette when she was a little kid.

"Hi," Lynette greeted them politely. Lynette sat down next to Vanessa with Max on her lap, chatting to me happily about Noah and the cutest thing Max did last night. Piper and the girls got back to their project and I listened to Lynette as I made coffee for the two of us. Megan had hopped down from Vanessa's lap and ran into my bedroom to find the dog, who usually spent most of her time on the bed sleeping.

"So how's Jack adjusting to his new apartment? I hadn't talk to him for a couple of days." Jack moved into an apartment in Seattle so he could be closer to his job. Of course, I didn't approve of this one bit, but he was an adult now and, as Jake would say, could make his own decisions. Blah, blah, blah. Stupid Jake, he didn't even know! I mean, Jack could be murdered or something and we wouldn't even know about it! You want to know why? Because he lived so frickin far away from us, that's why! I shit him out my vagina for God's sake, all Jake had to do was not wear a condom then hold my hand for nine months while I got fat.

"He's doing really well, he made a couple friends on his floor and he told me he's been working hard, I'm not worried." Yes, I was worried.

"That's really good, I'm happy for him." Lynette replied. When the coffee was made I the two mugs into the living room, Lynette followed. I didn't want to disturb the girls any longer. Lynette set Max up on the couch beside her, who made gargling noises and played with the decorative pillows. I sipped my coffee as Lynette started chatting again.


	23. I quit!

**I am sooo close to finishing! One more chapter to go. I think. But I don't know, I might be wrong, I always am. Is anybody out there? I got three reviews last chapter. Please, review, you don't realize how much it helps. :**

P.S. Did anyone finish Breaking Dawn yet? I personally thought it was wonderful.

1 Year Later 

**Piper's Point of View **

In the regular school curriculum, I have Health classes every other day for half of the year. I learn everything from the digestive system to healthy eating habits, but there always has to be at least one class where there is a big discussion on how awful smoking is. I never paid much attention to those. But when the 8th grade health teacher, Mrs. Allen, started listing off people she knew that _died _from lung cancer and brought in a fake plastic blackened lung, I started to pay more attention. This knowledge upset me, naturally. It was only me, Jack, and my Dad that didn't smoke in my family. My nieces and nephews too, they were too young. I was mostly worried about my mother, who has been smoking almost two packs a day since she was a teenager. My father had given up on trying to convince his wife and children to quit, the most he could do is make them go outside and smoke on the porch, no matter what the weather conditions might be. Though, at night when my father is asleep on the couch, my mother sits at the kitchen table and chain smokes while she reads old Jodi Picoult novels. When I was smaller, she used to make me hot chocolate and I'd sit across from her pretending to read the paper, though I was only looking at the comic strips.

All during school today, my head was filled with the image of that blackened lung. Mrs. Allen's voice was stuck in my head like a song, listing off all of her friends that had died. I was 14 years old! I needed my mother! I also needed my brother and sisters! They couldn't end up with lung cancer because of this, it just couldn't happen! My dad may have given up, but I'm going to pick up where he left off. So I got a library pass from my math teacher so I could print out pictures of lungs with cancer to show them all what could happen to them. We didn't own a computer at home anymore, the one we had was a virus infected piece of shit, all thanks to Indi. When Indi lived at home, she used to download music from some share site that sent viruses via email. So not only could I printed out gruesome pictures of sick lungs at home, but I couldn't check my email or MySpace when I wanted to. All this has to be done in school. I found some pretty good stuff on the Internet, when I walked home from school with Vanessa, I was so anxious that my stomach was actually in knots. When we reached the mail box, Vanessa waved goodbye to me as she walked through the path next to my house to get to her house, which was the next street over.

"Good luck on getting your family to stop smoking." Vanessa called, turning back around to face me, her thin dark hair in her eyes. I rolled my eyes. Vanessa and I had been friends since Kindergarten, she was basically my sister and practically lived at my house when her parents got divorced in the 6th grade. She didn't think I could convince my very cigarette dependent family to quit. I knew I could prove her wrong. As I walked up my short, rocky driveway, I saw that everyone was conveniently lounging on the porch. I waved to Megan and Max, who were playing tag in the front yard. Lucy was sitting on the bottom step of the porch, holding three year old Macon's chubby hands as he walked around unsteadily, his big, watery brown eyes looked up at me happily. Indi swears that he looks more like Oliver. I have to disagree with my big sister, Macon certainly had Oliver's nose and mouth, but the expressions on his face amazingly resembled Indi's more than anything. I kissed Macon as I walked around him and Lucy to walk up the porch steps. As I opened the screen door, my mother greeted me.

"Hey, Baby, how was school?" Delilah was sitting in one of the two twin wicker chairs smoking of course. My father sat in the chair right next to hers, both hands clutching the sides of the chair. His crinkled eyes were half shut, but they opened wider as he saw me coming. My father smiled and I looked over at Lynette, Jesse, and Indi, who were all sitting in the three seat wicker chair across from my parents. Indi was drinking a root beer. Jesse was doing the crossword out of today's paper, and Lynette put out her cigarette in the very busy ash tray that was sitting on the coffee table in front of her. I waved to Oliver and Noah who could be seen from inside sitting at the kitchen table, they were playing cards and arguing over something that nobody else cared about, as usual. The kitchen window was open so Lynette and Indi could boss their husbands around without having to go inside to do it. I shrugged off my backpack, which I tossed close to my dad's chair, and pulled out the picture of the lung from my back pocket.

"I have something to show you guys, well, not Dad, but he can look too." I placed the picture on the coffee table, which was already cluttered, what with books, magazines, car keys, three different packs of cigarettes, three lighters, Jesse's razor cell phone, and a decorative candle that my mother hadn't lit yet. Delilah leaned forward, Jacob did also, though he groaned a little as he did so, he was old that way.

"Did you make it in art class?" Jesse asked, cocking his head to the side as he looked at it. Indi covered her mouth in shock.

"It's beautiful, Honey" Lynette said frowning. My Dad winked at me, catching on to my plan. My mother's eyebrows knit together, a line appeared between them. I shook my head.

"No, no! It's a lung." I said, correcting my brother. He looked at me, his dark eyes widening.

"Why on earth would you want to draw a lung? That's a little weird, no offense," Indi said, her hands out in front of her defensively. My father let out his low throaty chuckle, I smiled at him.

"I didn't make it in art class, I printed it out on the computer at school." I said,

"But that's cheating." Indi interrupted, her eyebrows raised. I sighed. Why were they so obtuse? I think I was adopted, I swear.

"It wasn't for art class, I printed it out to show you guys what your lungs probably look like right now, that black stuff is tar." I said, pointing to the creased picture. Indi wrinkled her nose, Lynette sighed, and Jesse laughed shaking his head.

"It's not funny that she's worried about us, Jess." Delilah scolded softly. Jesse shook his head, looking at me seriously.

"You don't have to worry about us, Pipe, we'll all be around for a really, really long time. So long, you'll be sick of us." My brother said patting my back. I think my brother was so used to talking to Lucy that he sometimes forgot that I didn't need to be talk to like a little girl.

"But mom isn't a wolf, she's human and she won't live for a freakishly long time!" I pointed out, helplessly my arm pointing in her direction. Shit, I was losing this only two minutes into the game! Delilah reached for my hand and pulled me over to her as she put out her cigarette stub with her other hand. Her freckled hand felt cold and the rings she wore on her fingers dug into my warm skin. She moved over in the chair so I could sit down as she wrapped her arm around me.

"Only the damned live forever, Sweetheart." Indi said with a smile on her face, looking at my mother to see her reaction. Delilah mouthed something to her that looked suspiciously like 'fuck off' as Indi laughed. My mom looked away from Indi and met my gaze. Delilah smiled at me, her eyes crinkling behind her glasses.

"I'm not dying anytime soon, Babe, don't you worry your pretty head about it. Please don't." I looked away from her, I wanted to believe so bad that this was true but I wasn't a little kid anymore, I knew that her words were only to calm my fears of something that would happen no matter what she said. But I knew this discussion was over, for today, this was just the beginning. Someone was going to be surprised with some Nicorette gum under their pillow tonight.

"Just promise me you won't smoke _as much _anymore." I said. I saw my father smile out of the corner of my eye. Delilah's grimaced and she kissed my forehead, her cheek resting on my hair.

"I promise." she mumbled.

"That goes for the three of you hooligans." My Dad said pointing to his other children with a quivering hand. I smiled, glad that my Dad got them to stop smiling like idiots.

**Later That Night**

**Delilah's Point of View**

"I didn't realize Piper felt that way, I feel so awful. I mean did you see her face? Like I was going to die right then and there!" I said as Jake and I pulled off the decorative pillows from the bed and placed them on the rocking chair in the corner in the room. I grabbed the hand lotion that sat on my dresser and rubbed it through my fingers until it's cold stickiness was replaced with the feeling of my soft hands. Jake pulled off the shiny thick comforter from the bed, revealing the quilt we actually slept in. I watched Jacob climb into bed with a grunt, I stood there with a frown on my face, thinking, waiting for him to say something to make me feel better. Jake looked deep in thought, his white eyebrows knit together in concentration, creating creases on his forehead and eyes. He was always a sexy thinker. He patted the bed next to him and I walked over to the right side of the bed, sighing. I climbed in next to him, pulling the covers over my goose bumped legs. My husband wrapped his arm around my shoulder pulling me down. When he did, I reached over with my free hand to turn out my lamp on the bedside table. I could see Jake's face almost perfectly with the light the moon cast into the the room from my window. He opened his mouth, then closed it, still thinking of what to say.

"I think she is right, it's an addiction that will only end up hurting you in the end. But then again, don't most addictions end up hurting it's victims in the end?" He said, with a teasing smile. I grimaced and looked away from his intense gaze, focusing on his moving lips. I knew he would say something like that, he's been saying it for years actually, but I didn't care enough to listen. I knew now that he was right. I thought of the fearful expression on Piper's face my stomach churned uncomfortably. It was time for me to quit. I needed to be healthy not only for me, but for my family as well. I laced my fingers into Jake's and I squeezed tight.

"Do you think I can do it?" I asked softly, finally meeting his gaze. Jake smiled.

"I know you can do it, and if you feel yourself slipping up, just think of Piper's...uh..._art project_." I laughed and took a deep breath, wrinkling my nose.

"Do you think my lungs really look like that?" I asked quietly. My husband's smile grew.

"Yes," I hit his shoulder playfully and he laughed. I sighed, squeezing his fingers again, kissing them gently.

"Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky." I said. Jacob stroked my hair.

"Lucky?" He asked, yawning.

"Yeah, to have you and the kids. When you can along I was a former druggie who thought she killed her parents," I swallowed, "I didn't disserve you at all, I still don't." Jacob shook his head, his expression serious once again.

"Don't be stupid, I loved you the second I saw you. Even if you were still getting high off of god knows what when we first met, I would have loved you. I still love you the same to this day. So enough of this, 'we don't deserve each other' shit." I laughed.

"You're right, we would sound too much like Edward and Bella being reunited after a disastrous event." We both shuttered. I snuggled closer to Jake and he wrapped his arms around me completely, holding me to his chest. I pulled slightly away to put my lips to his ear.

"I love you." I whispered. Jacob pulled me from him and pecked me softly on the lips, his big, hot hand cupped around my face.

"I love you too." I put a hand on his cheek and smiled, Jacob placed his hand on top of mine, holding me there. When his weary eyes finally closed and he drifted to sleep, I turned over to rest my head on my own pillow, but I grabbed Jacob's limp hand when I was settled. After a few seconds, I felt something hard. I pulled the box of Nicorette gum from under my pillow and sighed, throwing non-to-gently against the wall. 

**2 Years Later. **

**Delilah's Point of View **

Friday night was like a vacation for me. It was a time when the house was quiet and I could hear myself think. Not that I couldn't hear myself think when Piper _wasn't_ out with her friends, but I could finally just do the things that had been on my to do list all week. I could vacuum and wash the kitchen counter and maybe attempt to put away the clean laundry that has been sitting in the basket on my hope chest. There was so many possibilities that I found myself standing in the middle of the living room trying to figure out what to do first. I jumped as I heard a loud crash from the bedroom and I ran. I was afraid that Jake has fallen or something, like the old people in that Life Alert commercial. You know, 'Help, I've fallen and I can't get up.' That sort of thing. I reached the door frame, panting and I saw Jake kneeling on the ground in front of the open closet, reaching around for the thirty or so CD's that had fallen on the ground accompanied with their box.

"What happened?" I asked coming over to him and kneeling down next to him to help. Jake's features were flinched in pain as he scrambled to grab the CD's. I'm sure his back was killing him. He hadn't heard me.

"What happened?" I asked a little louder, placing my hand on his tense back. Jake sighed, and placed about five CD's back into the cardboard box.

"I was grabbing that new phone book and the goddamn box fell." He grumbled angrily. I grabbed the three CD's in front of me, reading the titles. I had forgotten all about these! I had placed them up in the closet for safe keeping a really long time ago. Jacob took the CD's from me with shaking hands and placed them back into the box. My eyebrows knit together as I took in Jacob's mortified and pained expression with melancholy eyes. My Jacob had become more and more unsteady over the years and didn't like anyone to acknowledge it. Especially in situations like this.

"Wait!" I said, taking one of the CD's back from my husband and opening the plastic cover. Jacob's turned to me, his eyes still very serious, but I could tell he was curious. I studied the album, just looking at it made a painful lump arise in my throat. I could just picture my mother standing at the kitchen counter of my childhood home in Florida. Leaning over a cookbook singing the song loudly, her hair tangled and powdered white from flour. Her expression determined to make better cookies than what she concocted before. I never encouraged her, I always looked on from a distance and laughed to myself. I should have helped her, I should have been her guinea pig, eating what seemed like the thousands of mistakes she had made.I should have been a better daughter. Her sweet voice singing that song echoed in my ears. I arose from my position on the floor, wiping away an escaped tear from my eyes, and walked around the bed to the CD player that was placed on one of the shelves next to the window. After I placed the CD in, I quickly switched the song from number one, to number five. As _Moon River_ came on I smiled to myself and swayed with the beautiful introduction music. I could hear Jake get up from the floor behind me, when he started to walk slowly toward me, I made no indication that I knew he was there.

_Moon River, wider than a mile,  
I'm crossing you in style some day._

He used to sneak up on me, wrap his arms around my waist from behind and hold me to him. I closed my eyes as Jake wrapped his warm arms around my waist and started to rock me back and forth. After a minute, Jake turned me around to face him. I looked up into his eyes as he took my hand in his and placed his other hand on the small of my back.I blinked back more tears as I looked into his wise eyes.

_Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,  
wherever you're going I'm going your way_

We didn't dance as lively as we used to, but that didn't matter to me at all. I closed my eyes and rested my head against his stomach, he kissed the top of my head, drifting us along.

_Two drifters off to see the world.  
There's such a lot of world to see_.

I felt numb and warm at the same time. I fit into Jake's chest like a newly found puzzle piece, I always have. Jacob's warm touch seemed to calm my sadness and fears at once.

_We're after the same rainbow's end--  
waiting 'round the bend,  
_  
"She know's you love her." Jacob whispered, knowing what I was thinking. I sniffed. I couldn't hide anything from him as hard as I tried. I wiped off my eyes on his tee shirt. I felt slightly embarrassed for crying. Jacob chuckled and my heart softened, as long as Jake was with me I know everything will be okay. He was my rock, my savior. Jacob and me.

_my huckleberry friend,  
Moon River and me_

**4 Years and 3 Months Later...  
Delilah's Point of View.**

"Coffee?" I asked, raising the hot kettle full of coffee I was holding. At the table sat three tired looking men. I recognized them, they were regulars here at the diner. The older man in the middle raised his weary eyes to my face and smiled kindly, holding up the empty blue mug that was on the table. I gave him my polite smile and poured the steaming liquid into his mug, my hand being pulled down but the weight of it when I pointed the spout downward

"Here you go, Love." I muttered, I then turned to his two companions. The youngest man sitting to the right nodded, shivering as the chilly air wafted through the restaurant from the door being opened and closed so much. I poured him his coffee just as he commented,

"Mighty cold day today." I grimaced, the only thing I still hated about Washington, even after all these years, was the biting cold winters. The winters that made me layer myself with the warmest items of clothing I could find. Winters that made my driveway slippery and difficult and my teeth chatter so much that my jaw hurt. With winter came frostbite and with winter came the costly heating bills that were paid to help prevent frostbite. Winter sucked.

"Hmm," I muttered, while pouring the man on the left some coffee. The man on the right fixed his coffee the way he liked it as the man in the middle said.

"The news this morning said it was supposed to snow today." I tried not to sigh heavily in dispear, instead I gave them a big smile. Custumers tipped better if you were pleasant and bubbly, it's a known fact. Plus, I liked these guys too much to be mean to them. Now if I were waiting on tourists with visors and fanny packs, things would be different.

"Oh, God. I absolutely love the cold weather! The snow especially. My husband and I used to go skiing every-" Ugh, what month was good for skiing? I had no idea. Jake took me skiing once, after that adventure, I never when with him again. To tell you the truth, the ski lift was the only fun part of going skiing. Think, what month did we go skiing? "-February."

"A good month for skiing." the man on the left commented, taking a sip of his coffee. I beamed, mentally patting myself on the back. After years and years of it, lying didn't feel so bad anymore. And if you think about it, it was a win win situation. I got the extra money to spend on Jacob or the house, and they had their day brightened by me.

"Where about's do you ski?" The man on the right asked curiously, straightening his silverware unconsciously. I wracked my brains, thinking of some place that had snow in the winter and mountains to ski on. My grandfather had lived in new Hampshire when he was alive, he always mentioned a certain place,

"Um, Gunstock, I think." I said uncertainly, hoping that I got the name correct. Apparently it was.

"Ahh, I took the wife and kids there last year, long drive, though. Expensive too, with gas prices these days." The two other men nodded in agreement. I nodded too, bouncing on the balls of my feet, eyeing the impatient family that I was supposed to be taking the order of a few tables over.

"Don't I know it." I said, shaking my head. I sighed, took menus off of the empty table behind me and placed them down in front of the men.

"Well, I'll let you think about what you'll be having this morning, then i'll be back to take your order." I gave them my polite smile one more time before I walked away from them. I must of had a frown on my face as I took in the sight of the next set of people I was supposed to take the order of because as Charlotte walked passed me, she winked and said,

"You've been working since four this morning, Hun, that's almost seven hours. Take a break, i'll take care of your next table and you can take the order of these guys when your done." She gestured to the men I was just talking to.

"Thanks, Boss." Charlotte had recently been named manager of this whole establishment, which everyone was very happy about because our old manager was a jackass. I smiled gratefully at her, squeezing her hand quickly before walked behind the counter to get my jacket and put the kettle down. Once my jacket was on, I grabbed the pack of cigarettes and my lighter out of my purse and walked to the door. My body tensed up immediately as the freezing air hit my skin and the laughing and clattering noises of the diner ceased when the door slammed shut with the ting of the bell. I sighed, my shoulders hunching and lit the cigarette I had placed in my mouth.

After one long drag, I exhaled and the grey-white smoke seemed to blow away with the wind, disappearing instantly. I walked to the edge of the sidewalk I was standing on and sat down on the cold pavement, resting my feet on the yellow slab of concrete that stopped cars from parking on the sidewalk. The parking lot was almost empty, not many people came to eat breakfast on a weekday, except for the old couples and the occasional men on early fishing trips, like the three men I had just given coffee to. Most people were hard at work, and kids were in school. When my kids were in school, I wouldn't taken the early morning shift like I had this morning. I would've woken up, taken a cold shower, and slabed some makeup on to make myself look presentable. Then, I'd make lunches for everybody and place them in fragile brown paper bags. After the lunches were made, I'd force my kids out of bed and make them get ready for school. That used to be my morning. Now all five of my children were out living lives of their own and I was sitting on the cold hard ground encouraging my smoking habit more and more each time I took a drag. Then it hit me. I could be home right now, cozy in my bed in the arms of my husband. I could be at home right now, the place I felt the most joy. I froze for a minute, cigarette inches from my mouth, thinking. Then I smiled to myself. I dropped the cigarette on the cold ground and stomped on it, putting it out. Pushing myself off of the sidewalk, I grabbed the flattened cigarette and threw it in the trash can that sat next to the door. My beaming smile was still plastered on my face as I re-entered the diner.

I have had enough of this! I was tired of going to this place day after day. Carrying meal after meal, dealing with annoying and unsatisfied customers. Jake and I had enough money saved up to get along, I would quit today, regardless of the 30 day notice and the rule about having to write a resignation letter. When I had got this job when I was first married, I hadn't thought it was permanent. I had thought that when Jake and I got enough money to pay the bills on the house, I would get another, better job. But then my first baby, Jesse, was born and I was distracted from my slightly higher ambitions of getting a better job. I knew that me not going to college would mean that I didn't have many options, but I had never, ever thought I would be working here for more than two decades. Not that my time here was completely horrible, like the good friends I had made and my knowledge of the real goings on in the kitchen, but it was time that I leave. Now that the nest was almost completely emptied of children, it was vital that I spent my undivided time with Jacob, and that made my heart swell with excitement.

"Done already?" Charlotte asked curiously as she speed walked by me, her hands full with two trays of dirty plates and eating untinsals. She must of spotted the strange smile on my face because she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Was that a cigarette you were smoking or a joint, because you aren't usually this quick when it comes to break times. I usually have to drag you back inside!" I rolled my eyes. Of course she thought I was high, I felt high. I was like my mother in that sense, we didn't think before we acted, we just acted and thought about it later. But I had a feeling that when I finally did think about it later, I'd be very a happy women.

"What? No! No, Charlotte I...I quit!" I said with a triumphant smile. Now all eyes were on us. It took Charlotte a minute to register what I had just said. Then she smiled her rueful smile, which was unexpected on my part.

"Can you just hold on for one minute...I need to," she gestured to the big trays she was carrying with her eyes.

"Oh, yeah," I grabbed one from her arms and walked over with her to the counter. We placed the trays down with a loud clattering noise. It was a minute before Charlotte started speaking again.

"Have you thought about this? I mean, you've been here for years, we've been here for years. I don't know what it would be like without you." I looked over Charlotte's thin and heavily made up face. Her eyes were now sad, her neon blue eye shadow glinted in the overhead lights. Her bright pink lips were slightly parted in a deep frown that made me realize just how old Charlotte really was. Even though her age showed on her face frowning or not, her personality usually made me forget that she was a good ten years older than me.

"Well, not really. But I've been here for so long! I lost time with my children and my husband because of this job, and now that nearly all of my kid's have kid's of their own, I just want to be with my husband now. I can't lose anymore time with him." Charlotte's smile was now understanding. She nodded, looking down at her fake plastic finger nails and sighing.

"I understand, Delilah." Now she looked me in the eyes, I could see that she was tearing up."You've been such a good friend to me, Charlotte!" I said, tearing up to.

"I don't know what I would have done without you all these years." Charlotte grabbed one of the napkins from the napkin dispenser on the counter in front of us and while handing me one, she blew her nose obnoxiously. That earned us more stares. Charlotte hugged me tightly, her jewelry clinking together as she did so.

"I'm really going to miss you!" She said.

"Me too, Charlotte."

"But, you forgot one thing." I pulled away from her, curious. Charlotte laughed,

"You forgot your resignation letter!" I sighed and shook my head.

"Do you got a pen?" I asked with my hand out towards her. Charlotte was still chuckling ad she reached into her apron pocket and grabbed me her favorite clicky pen. I sighed again and grabbed another napkin. I then wrote,

_Dear Charlotte, _

_I quit..._

_Love,_

_Delilah._

"You managers and your damn rules!" I said, handing her the napkin.

"Hey, at least i'm not an ass hole, if Johnny were still here, you wouldn't be able to just leave on no notice." I waved her away.

"I know, I know! Just to tell yeah, though, you were the best manager I ever had!"

"Promise you'll come and visit every once and a while?" Charlotte asked hopefully. I laughed.

"Yeah, maybe i'll be a customer for once!" be both laughed as co-workers one last time.


	24. Waiting Room

**4 Months Later **

**Delilah's Point of View **

I grabbed all of the forks and knives that were in the small drawer and ran to the table with them, not bothering to slam the drawer back shut again. Everyone was bustling around, setting up last minute decorations or snacks before Jake came inside. It had been hard getting everyone inside the house without him knowing, it seemed that I had did everything except send him out to do errands or something so he wouldn't find out. He probably knew something was going on the day I first thought of giving him a surprise party anyway, though. I sighed a placed my hand on my hips, the knee length dress I was wearing brushed against my legs as Lynette rushed past with a lighter in her hands.

"Where should we put the gifts? Emily said your bedroom, but I think it's better that they went in the bathroom or something, just incase Jake goes directly into your bedroom instead of the kitchen." Claire looked at me with her huge eyes, wondering what exactly to do. I shook my head.

"Just put them in the bedroom, Jake's been outside all day, he's probably hungry so he'll go straight into the kitchen." I had been planning on that.

"Okay." Claire breathed quickly, rushing past me into the living room to grabbed the presents. I walked passed Seth and Collin smiling at them. Lucy jumped down from the chair she was standing on to look out the window, it still cracked me up that at fifteen years old, she still wasn't tall enough to see everything that was outside through that certain window. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as I was pouring a bag of Doritos into a yellow plastic bowl. Lucy hadn't left her spot on the in front of the window for half an hour, I knew that he was coming.

"Quick, everyone! He's coming inside!!" She said loudly, everyone stopped what they were doing. Indi and Jack ran around with a wild look on their faces trying finishing last minute details.

"What do we do?" Piper asked loudly, looking around for a place to hide. Jesse grabbed Lucy by the waist and carried her over to his and Lynette's hiding place next to the table. Leah, Claire, and Emily raced into the hallway away from the living room where Jake would be coming in. Everybody else got quickly in position while I flipped the switch to turn out all of the lights. When I ducked down under the table next to Macon, my youngest grandson, he looked pleadingly into my eyes. My stomach churned, panicked.

"Nana! I have to pee really bad!" He said quietly. My eyes widened, couldn't he wait? The poor kid looked so embarrassed.

"Can't you hold it, Kid? You're a big boy now!" I whispered through my teeth, My voice getting higher and higher every second. If this was ruined, I would be so pissed! Macon didn't look very positive.

"You'll be okay for two more minutes, Sweetie, I promise." Macon's heart shaped face looked troubled.

"I'll try really, really, hard to hold it!" He said, though he still looked doubtful. I squeezed his little hand.

"Try not to think of water, okay?" I said desperately. He frowned, his bottom lip trembling.

"I wasn't until now!" He said in a shrill whisper. Jesse lifted the table cloth that hid me and Macon and glared at us.

"Shut up!" Megan commanded from behind Jesse, her face as equally distressed as her uncle's. Giggles erupted from the other side of the kitchen. Lynette made a loud hushing noise, slapping the backside of Max's head.

"Don't hit your son, Lynette, that's abuse." I advised her in a stage whisper, more laughs came from around me, but I couldn't really see who it was because Jesse dropped the corner of the table cloth that gave me a view of my kitchen. Macon and I were in the dark once again and I heard the sliding door open slowly from in the living room.

"I'm so excited!" I heard Lucy whisper to herself from the other side of the table cloth. I could see her shadow bouncing up and down with anticipation. I looked from under the cloth and saw Jacob's boots walking slowly into the kitchen, his footsteps audible in the silence that set upon the kitchen. When the lights flipped on, Macon and I popped out from under the table.

"SURPRISE!" I yelled in unison with my friends and family. Poor Jacob looked shocked, positively frightened. We got him good! I smiled broadly and went quickly into the back hallway to retrieve the cake from one of the tables that had been placed there momentarily. As I picked up the heavy cake, I blew away the stray hairs that had fallen in my face. I raced out with the cake so I was directly in front of Jacob.

"Happy birthday, Sweetheart!" I said. His face wore a tremulous smile when he saw me, but, my heart sunk a little to see that a pained expression filled every line of his face as Quil and Embry lead him to a chair. But I let it go and placed the cake in front of him, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand quickly. He was just surprised, that's all.

**Jacob's Point of View **

I came into the house from the back sliding door, my light jacket hung over my arm. I have been working outside for most of the day, avoiding the party planners by doing manly things and pretending not to know what they were up to. My worn body felt heavy. My legs hurt and I desperately needed to sit. To me, it was just another day. Nothing in me had changed. Sure, fifty odd years ago, I would've made a big deal about the occasion, but that was then. This is now. Now, getting older was a burden. More and more options in life were limited and it pissed me off. I sighed and draped my jacket over the back of the couch, my bad ears enabled me to hear the whispers that were coming from the pitch black kitchen, but I knew that my family were in there. Waiting for me.

It was still chilly at night, spring coming hadn't really changed things around here. Except for Delilah's flowers in the front yard, making their appearance for the first time in eight months. I missed the aroma they cast around the house when Delilah put them in a tiny vase on the kitchen table. I smiled to myself, I had decided this morning that I would act surprised for them, put on my happy face. The only thing I was looking forward to was Delilah's homemade cake. I walked slowly into the kitchen, my back and legs aching painfully, and braced myself for everyone popping out at me from their hiding spots as I flipped on the lights.

"SURPRISE!" The noise overwhelmed me, my wide eyes took in everything. Their happy cries were very, very loud, but also muted in a way. I ignored the pains that were shooting through my chest and right arm and tried not to cry out loud. This wasn't normal. I was silent as I read the banner that was taped to the hanging fan above the kitchen table. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAKE, it read in big spirally letters. It's funny, in all the years I've had birthday parties, I've never had a banner like that. I guessed that Piper had drawn the pictures of the small cars that surrounded the letters, it was good to know that she was putting her art school education to good use.

My eyes traveled to Delilah, who was as radiant as ever in her hippy like dress. She was carrying one of the loveliest cakes she'd ever made. I looked at her smiling face, her mouth moved, but I could only hear muffled words. I tried to smile, I didn't know what was wrong with me. I felt dizzy. I looked around for my children and grandchildren, who were all huddled against the kitchen counters with identical smiles on their faces. My eyes passed over Leah and Emily, who were next to Delilah near the table, fussing over the candles. Jared and Kim were next to the refrigerator talking to Sam, who was smiling but he seemed distracted as he looked at me.

"Happy birthday, old man!" said a voice from my right. I looked in Quil's direction and stared at his lined face. He was smiling like an idiot. His voice was a little clearer than Delilah's had been. My chest pained me so much, my knees almost buckled from under me. I swallowed hard and tried to ignore the growing pain. I must've worked myself hard today.

"Hey," My best friend said, clapping his rough hand on my back, I tried not to scream aloud in agony. I had to pull myself together. This was nothing, I could handle this.

"Are you okay? " Quil asked, his eyes very concerned as he looked me over. I must've looked awful. I didn't meet his gaze. Embry laughed from behind him. .

"Of course not, Quil, he's seventy-five today!" My other best friend shook his head, still laughing. Quil laughed too.

"But he doesn't look a day over sixty-five." Being a wolf did have it's benefits. I tried to turn my grimace into a smile, put it came out pained instead.

"I'm fine, I just need to sit down for a minute." I managed to say. Quil, still smiling lead me to the kitchen chair that was sitting in front of the cake. A couple of people shook me by the hand on the way. Jesse held up his camera to take a picture while Delilah wrapped her arms around my shoulders and kissed my cheek gently. I blinked as blinding flash filled the room, Jesse's camera capturing the moment. The pain intensified then, taking over my whole right arm and torso. Then I realized what must be happening to me. I stood up, my knees shook as I did so. I needed to kiss her while I still could, to hold her.

"Jake, Hun, sit down!" A smile played around her lips but I could see she knew something was wrong with me. How much I loved that smile. I looked at her face, taking in it's beauty. When the pain increased, I held on to the table for support. I could see everyone around us move in protectively from the corner of my eye. Delilah grabbed my arm and held on tight, her eyes upset.

"Delilah," I croaked, I had to tell her one last time. I looked into her eyes, willing her to understand what I was trying to tell her. I could feel the darkness creeping up on me. I had to tell her before it came for me. The pain in my chest hurt so bad I was almost numb. The barely noticeable trembling in my hands erupted into violent shaking with the increasing agony. I couldn't even take hold of Delilah's hand.

"Jacob!" She gasped in horror, her face was twisted in fear as she screamed for somebody to call 911. She grabbed on to one of my hands tightly, taking control, as the pain took over my body. Damn, damn it!

"You'll be okay!" she gasped, I opened my mouth once more, trying to control my hands so I could hold her closer to me. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it.

"Don't leave me!" my wife whimpered as my legs gave out. I sunk to the floor, dragging her down with me. Hands were grabbing me as I fell. My heart broke.

"I…Delilah" I couldn't get the words out before my vision went black. I couldn't feel the pain anymore, I couldn't think, I couldn't tell my Delilah that I loved her.

**1 Hour Later. **

**Delilah's Point of View**

I stared blankly at the white washed wall opposite me, stroking Piper's hair as she sniffled into my dress . My weary eyes traveled over the thousands of health posters and notices that littered that wall of the corner we were in. When I read the words, they didn't register into my brain. My ears blocked out the quiet chatter that surrounded me in the waiting room. When Oliver stood, a sleeping Macon over his shoulder, I tore my eyes away to look at my family. Indi reached up from her seat to my right and patted her son's head. She mumbled words to her husband but I couldn't hear, or I didn't want to hear. When Oliver walked out the automatic doors of the exit, Lynette spoke for the first time in hours.

"Do you want coffee, Mama?" she asked me, softly. I nodded deafly, not even looking her in the eyes. Piper sat up from her pillow on my stomach and blinked wildly, trying to do away with the fog that had rested over her eyes from all the crying.

"I'll come," Piper said thickly, and got up from her seat next to me. Lynette offered to get coffee for her brothers and Indi too but they shook their heads solemnly. My eyes rested on Lucy, who was sitting away from everyone, her body curled up against the very corner of the room. Her face was turned away from me facing the wall. Lucy hadn't said anything since she had refused to go home with Noah earlier today. Though, every now and then, I muffled sniffles coming from her corner. Jesse reached toward his daughter with a gentle hand.

"Lucy, come on." he said quietly. Jesse looked so much like Jacob at this moment, that I had to turn away.

"No." she said quietly. Lucy moved farther against the wall, cringing away from Jesse as well, not looking at anybody. I couldn't blame her, If it were my decision, I would curl up against a wall too. But I had to be strong, so I was strong.

**5 Minutes Later.**

**Lucy's Point of View**

"Lucy, come on." I closed my eyes, swallowing the pain back down my throat. The phantom of the sobs that had threatened to escape still there. I knew they would come back if I looked at my family. I couldn't cry in front of them. It was too embarrassing. I could feel the heat rise into my face as I thought about it. My dad's warm hand touched my back gently, I shook it off. If I looked him in the eyes I would lose it, then someone will take me home and I wouldn't even know if my Papa was okay. If I went home, I'd go crazy with grief and worry, though, I was crazy with them now. I feel better knowing that he is in the same building as me. That I was close.

"No." I said softly, it took the greatest effort to keep my voice level. I pulled myself tighter against my legs and leaned my head on the cold wall, sighing silently. I closed my eyes and behind the usual black lids, my mind saw my grandfather fall to the ground over and over again. I opened my eyes, willing for my brain to go blank, no, hoping. It felt like thousands of pins stabbed my heart as I saw the horrible look on his face in my mind's eye. _Stop it. _I told myself, _he's going to be okay. _But what if he wouldn't be okay? My eyes filled up, I blinked the tears away. _Shut up, he'll be fine, he always pulls through. _But he isn't as strong as he used to be. _He won't die! He couldn't. _I wanted to bang my head against the wall. If I hadn't suggested to have a surprise party for him, Papa wouldn't even be at this hospital. He'd be at home, sleeping in his recliner, like always. This is all my fault, and will stay here until I saw that he was breathing.

**15 Minutes Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

I breathed in the steam from my cup of crappy coffee and closed my eyes. My eyes stung from keeping them open for so long without blinking. I sighed while placing my cup of coffee on the corner table next to me and taking off my glasses, rubbing my tired eyes vigorously. I heard Piper sit up suddenly and across from me, I heard Jesse clear his throat. My eyes opened and my heart pounded as I saw one of the doctors that I saw working on Jake in the emergency room approach us. I stood up unsteadily, looking into his slightly lined face, trying to see through his clear blue eyes.

"Mrs. Black, your husband has suffered a severe heart attack, now, we need to do some more testing but I think,…." and then I stopped hearing what he was saying. As his mouth moved, I gazed up at him, my vision blurring from the hot tears. It seemed like my whole world stopped in it's tracks at that very moment, but I know it really didn't.

"He's going to be okay, though, right? He is okay." said Lynette, her voice shaking, I looked over to see that my eldest daughter was standing now. She seemed like she was trying to convince herself. I looked away, I needed to see him, now.

"I'm going to go see him." I said, also standing. The doctor walked toward me, his hands up like he was trying to show me that he didn't have a weapon of some sort. He cut in front of me.

"Ms. Black, I don't think-" He said, my heart filled with rage. He said Ms. Black like my husband was already dead, son of a bitch.

"It's _Mrs_. Black, and I demand to see my husband," I said coldly, interrupting him, my jaw was set. I glared up at the young doctor who was almost two heads taller than me and prepared to fight him ravenously if it were absolutely necessary. Jake needed me. Strong arms held me from behind as I inched forward, I looked up, startled. Jack looked down at me sternly.

"You heard what the doctor said, Ma, Dad needs to have more tests done on him before we can see him." I actually hadn't heard him say anything like that. Damn doctors, always talking in riddles. I let Jack lead me back to my chair again as the doctor asked to talk to someone more sane.

"It'll be okay, Mama." said Indi, who scooted over in her chair so she was sitting next to me. Piper kneeled in front of me on the floor and buried her head in my lap. Jack rested his head on my shoulder. I watched Lynette walk over to the doctor and Jesse from the corner of my eye. I looked over to Lucy, who was still curled up in her corner.

"Somebody bring Lucy over here." I said softly. When Lucy finally curled up next to Indi, we all sat in silence as we watched Jesse and Lynette talk to the exasperated doctor. After that, there was nothing to do but wait.

**Okay, I lied. There will be more chapters after this. I know, you're fed up! Believe me, I know. Plus, as some of you very well know, I am notorious for writing unbearably long stories. Anyways, this story needs an ending, but now is not the time to end it. Review, please, people. ****J**


	25. Final Memory

**9:00 P.M. **

**Delilah's Point of View**

The light in the hallway was dim. As I pushed opened the two huge double doors, I blinked away tears that had threatened to fall so the kids wouldn't see that I was about to cry. I'll never let them see me cry, not now, not ever. I had to hold myself together, but I knew the second I saw Jacob, I'd lose it. I felt as if some unknown presence was supporting all my weight and walking me to Jake's room. It was almost as if I were walking on air, and not in a good way. My head kept replaying the little moments that we'd shared together over the years, good times and the bad times alike. My lips trembled in the pout that had been in place for hours. Looking back I see that he put everything into our marriage and life together, and I couldn't count the number of times that I had been angry or frustrated at him when he never deserved it. A teardrop escaped down the corner of my eye. He completed me in every way possible and most of the time all I did was yell at him for stupid reasons. I walked faster as I thought of last Tuesday when I had flipped out at him for not hearing the correct phone number of a car insurance lady that was helping me, and jotting down her office hours instead, mistakenly thinking it was her cell phone number.

The knots in my stomach tightened painfully as I thought of the month Jake put our electric bill in the 'out of town' mailbox instead of the 'out of state' mailbox at the post office. I became nauseas as I saw in my mind's eye how embarrassed he looked as I was screeching at him for it. I was running down the hall now, passing bewildered looking nurses in different colored scrubs. I barely heard everyone behind me, struggling to keep up. I stopped abruptly and turned back to look at my children. Jesse, who looked some much like Jake already, seemed to adopt all of his facial expressions as I looked him in the eye. Lynette was a few centimeters behind my first son, Lynette had Jake's big bright eyes, eyes that she had passed on to her own children. Just behind Lynette stood Jack, who, out of all my children, had the most resemblance to me. Next to Jack was Indigo, who looked so much like Bella right now it was as if she were Bella. I had to lean slightly to the side to see Piper, who had Lucy attached to her hip like a leech sucking blood. The funny thing about both Piper and Lucy was that they had the perfect amount of both me and Jake in them, though, they both had a better connection to Jake than they ever had to me. I took in each of my children's faces, who were symbolically lined in order from oldest to youngest.

"It's going to be okay." I said, my voice horse, though, it was always horse. Jake thinks that I have bronchitis from all the years of smoking. As he told me this, I remembered that he had this look on his face that looked like he wished he were the one that had it rather than me. He was sacrificial like that.

"We have to be strong, you know? Nothing is ever okay if everyone falls apart." I stood straighter, feeling myself take control again. I knew that if I believed Jake would be okay, he would, he just had to be. When I see him, I wouldn't cry because there was no need to. This was just a minor speed bump in our lives, after this, it'll be okay. It has to be. Jesse caught up to me, along with my other children. Jess put his arm around my shoulders, I had to crane my neck to look into his face because he was at least two heads taller than me. Lynette and Indi both put their arms around each other while they walked. Piper and Lucy did the same and we all proceeded to Jake's room.

………………….X…………………..

"I should go in first," I said quietly, looking around at the framed pictures of strangers with empty eyes. I guessed that they were rich people that had donated money to the hospital or something. I looked meaningfully into every set of eyes with me and as I walked passed, I squeezed Lucy's arm twice. I took a much needed breath as I placed my clammy hand on the metal doorknob. I didn't know what I'd see when I opened the door, I felt as if I'd throw up. I opened the heavy door and peered in. It was dim and cool, all the lights were turned off except for one pinkish looking ceiling light. The room wasn't very large, but was the perfect size for three beds. The only bed with somebody in it was the last one near the window. As I approached, I saw that Jacob was sleeping on his back, his mouth open just a little bit. I almost smiled at this but I didn't. My stomach was still uneasy as I looked him over hungrily. He looked so much _older _than usual and it scared me to no end. Just to have him here in front of my eyes calmed me down better than a cigarette ever could, though. I sat down in the chair next to his bed and pulled myself as close to him as possible. I grabbed his limp hand and held it close to my face, feeling the warmth of him and closing my eyes wearily. Jacob's hand twitched a little and slowly caressed my face, I opened my eyes to find my husband staring at me. His black eyes weren't empty like the pictures on the walls outside, though, they were bottomless. His eyes were a black ocean and right then, I seemed to be swimming in that ocean. His lips tugged on the edges but only a little.

"You look horrible." He croaked. I leaned my face into his hand. My eyes felt uncomfortably hot, I felt a blush rise up into my neck and my face hurt from trying to restrain myself from crying uncontrollably like I told myself not to. I did anyway, of coarse.

"I…You!" I sobbed harder and harder. I couldn't see Jacob's face and that scared me for a minute. I wiped away the tears with my free hand furiously. I couldn't breathe.

"Jake…Oh, my god." Jacob pulled me to him, he looked so frail to me, almost breakable. That made me cry harder, everything was changing.

"It's okay, Delilah, honey, I'm not dead yet." He deserved a slap upside the head for that one. I cried into his chest, my sobs muffled by the scratchy blanket. As I tried to calm myself down, I listened to his heart beat in his chest, it was unbearably slow. He stroked my hair as my breathing became controlled again. We were silent for a moment.

"What the hell was that?" he asked incredulously as I pulled away to look into his face once more. He looked tired, he should be resting. But I had to tell him something vitally important.

"I've never seen you cry like that! That was ridiculous." His teasing seemed off to me. He was putting on his 'everything is okay' voice and I saw right through it. I wiped my tears and snot on my coat sleeve and sniffed, studying him once more. As I looked him over for the second time, I noticed that his face was emptied of something essential, something that has been apart of him for the whole time I've known him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Energy maybe? No, that wasn't it at all.

"Jake…Jacob, I'm going first, don't you dare go before me!" That was a little more cryptic than I'd originally planned, I'll just go with it for effect. Jake trailed off, a confused look passing over his face like unexpected thunderstorm clouds. I must sound like a babbling fool, I couldn't blame him.

"What?" He asked sharply.

"I meant, that I demand that I die first! You're not allowed to die before me." I crossed my arms and looked away, I couldn't bare it if he died. It was only fitting that I died before him, but that wouldn't be for a very long time, preferably another 100 years.

"Well, that's stupid. I'm older than you, look at me! I'm clearly going to be the one to die first." He wave an unsteady hand in the air. He looked angry.

"I don't care," I set my jaw, this was going to be the stupidest argument we've ever had.

Jacob huffed and crossed his arms across his chest too. We didn't say anything to each other for another minute.

"I insist that I die first," He whispered in a thin voice, always a gentlemen.

"No!"

"Delilah, honey-"

"Don't 'Delilah, honey' me, Jacob Black! I couldn't bare it if you died before me so I'm going to die first and that's final!" He shut his mouth, out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand drop from the air and his expression soften.

"Do you realize how completely insane you are?" He asked softly, reaching over to stroke my hair, I leaned my face into his hand and sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I've been told." He chuckled, I could see his eyes dropping. I kissed his hand and sighed once more.

"Get some sleep, you've had a pretty intense day." I whispered, stroking his arm. He closed his eyes, but a small smile lingered on his face.

"I'm going to die first!" He said quickly, but before I could reply, he was out for the rest of the night.

**5 Months Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

"Maybe we can not go, stay here for the day, have me and you time." I said desperately. I winked my right eye sexily, stealthily slipping into the bathroom behind him to sit on the toilet while Jacob shaved in front of the bathroom mirror. Jacob chuckled, shaking his head as he ran the black razor he was holding over his left cheek.

"As much as I would love that, I'm afraid that I have to decline on that very tempting offer. Unfortunately, as the sister of the groom, you have the responsibility to attend the wedding." I looked down at my dark red nails, trying to think of another excuse to make Jake stay home. I looked up at him. Jacob looked completely absorbed in what he was doing, but I could see that he was gazing at me from the corner of his eye.

"How about _I_ go to Todd's wedding and _you _stay here and watch Peanutbutter, she misses you." Jake shook his head, grinning at me.

"Peanutbutter has done nothing but lay in bed with me for the passed five months, I'm sure she'll be happy for the vacation away from me." I raised my eyebrows. He was really one for the good comebacks this morning, wasn't he?

"Peanutbutter is a dog, you've been leading her on this whole time. She's probably expecting you to watch a rerun of _Murder She Wrote _again." I mocked. Ha! Take that, Jake. A guilt trip and a _Murder She Wrote _reference in the same sentence. Hello comeback fairy, welcome back to my team.

"Peanutbutter would understand if I have something more important to do this morning than recover from my poor health and watch Jessica Fletcher solve other people's crimes, plus, I only watch _Murder She Wrote _because you recorded the series on TiVo and there is nothing else to watch in the morning." Damn him, I bit my lip. This was the first big outing since his birthday, I couldn't risk him getting hurt. 

"Please stay home!" I said softly, now my desperation was shining through, I wanted to kick myself. Jacob washed his clean shaved face with his big hands before he replied. He finally shut the water off when I could see the steam from the water being too hot. He then grabbed the suit jacket the hung over the shower rod and slipped his long arms into the sleeves, I rose my perch on the toilet seat an helped him place the rest of the suit over his shoulders. When he turned to face me, I adjusted his black tie. Jake's warm fingers caught my pale hands and held then to his chest so I could feel his heart beating in his chest. When I wake up in the mornings, I always make sure to listen to his heart before making coffee. This morning, I had been so stressed about the wedding outing that I had forgotten this ritual. The pressure in his chest made my stomach untwist from it's knots, but only slightly.

"You see?" He whispered softly, "still beating. Just like it was yesterday and the day before that, and last Thursday." I closed my eyes and rested my ear on the spot where I could hear it's beating with almost perfect clarity, I thought I had vampire hearing for a moment.

"I'm so worried."

"I know you are, you have no reason to be. I'll be around for a hundred more years." He assured me, tucking my long hair behind my ear.

"Promise me." I whispered, my voice cracked. He let out a low chuckle and planted soft kisses on my hair and forehead.

"I promise…."

**6 Months Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

The bright sunshine shone through the tiny house as I stomped around the kitchen looking for the spatula I just had in my hand. Red hot annoyance bubbled within me and I slammed down my reading glasses on the kitchen table where Jake was reading the paper and stormed out of the room to where Piper was sitting on the couch watching a stupid reality show. My husband sat still on his chair, his eyes staring blankly at the sport's page. He was trying to listen to my irrational huffing and puffing over nothing with wary ears. My youngest daughter looked up at the sound of my entrance with a smirk on her face.

"Quit smoking again?" she asked as I walked briskly past her into the bedroom, I could've left it there when Bella had called right?

"I thought that's what you wanted me to do." I said to her from my bedroom, where I looked around, no kitchen utensil in sight.

"Yeah, when I was thirteen years old, you're a little late to jump on the bandwagon." she retorted, I leaned out the doorframe to have a good stern look at her, she was focused on the show, but I could tell she knew I was there.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" I asked skeptically, raising my eyebrows at her. She laughed and shook her head.

"Anthony is picking me up for work in ten minutes, I'm just killing time." I continued to stare at her. Who was Anthony? What about Steven? Who she was so in love with she just _had _to marry him right away, and in Vegas of all places. I guess he was last month's obsession, I shutter to think what would've happened if she actually married the bastard.

"Whose Anthony?" I asked nonchalantly as I flitted back into the room, still searching for the lot spatula. Why didn't she tell me these things? Lynette and Indi always did. My heart panged for a moment.

"Didn't I tell you?" Now she was playing dumb. I heard Jake get up from the table in the kitchen, his cane made loud whacks against the bright tile under his feet. I saw him limp into the doorframe out of the corner of my eye.

"No, you didn't tell me." I grimaced and looked over at Jake, who looked worn and tired as he glanced about the room, not really focusing on me or Piper. I knew he was listening all the same.

"He's my new friend! We met at that new club that just opened in Seattle. It turns out that he works in the same building as me! Isn't that a coincidence?" I folded my arms across my chest, Jacob was still and silent which was weird because he usually didn't shut up. He was probably waiting for the actual words to come out of his youngest daughter's mouth. That Anthony was her new boyfriend and that she insisted that this relationship was different from the previous train wreaks she'd been involved in. Given Piper's history with men, we both had good reason to worry.

"Isn't that funny!" I said a little too enthusiastically. Piper nodded and twisted a lock of hair around her finger.

"Yeah, him and his boyfriend work at the reception desk in the lobby, that's how they met, you know, through work. I always thought it sounded like fate." I sighed with relief, Jacob smiled broadly. He was gay! Thank the lord in Heaven.

"Invite him in!" Jake's thin tenor voice called from the kitchen as he hobbled back to the table, "I'm sure your mother could make a quick breakfast." I laughed airily, embarrassment hitting me hard.

"Just as long as I find that damned spatula." I muttered as I followed Jake back into the kitchen. As I passed him, his reached his hand out to me and I squeezed it gently, kissing his hollow cheek. I noted to myself that Jake looked skinnier as I rushed to look in the one of the drawers to see if I had simply put the spatula away and told myself to give him bigger portions for now on.

**1 Month and 3 Days Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

I decided to lie to myself as I fixed Jake the tea he suggested, it was simply a cold and that was all. I looked over my shoulder and into the living room where I could see the TV's light shining through from our dark bedroom. I walked quickly back into my bedroom, the teacup balanced carefully in my steady hands. My bare legs had Goosebumps running all up and down. It almost hurt, I was so cold. I stopped in the doorway and I watched Jacob in the bed, he pat Peanutbutter gently on the head every so often. Peanutbutter's tail thumbed against the bed as she saw me enter the room. I smiled at her as I climbed back into the cozy bed next to Jake.

It had been a tiring day, Jacob called the family over for dinner tonight. Everyone came and the house has been noisy with our children and grandchildren from morning till night. It took me by surprise to see everyone at the house all at once, Jake hadn't even told me his plan. I had only crackers and left over pot roast to offer them, I could've made a better dinner. I could see Jake smiling from ear to ear, not a single pained look on his face like usual. Now, however, as best as he tried to hide it, the day's event's were getting to him.

"Thanks," Jake said as I handed him the hot tea. He shivered as the hot cup hit his unusually cold hands. The spoon rattled as he held the cup up to his lips, his hand trembled. I tore my eyes away, my mind filled with unwanted thoughts, my own hands started to shake. I swallowed and steadied myself, moving closer to him. Jake let out a surprised grunt as I rested my head on his chest, after half a second of shock he chuckled, placing the rattling cup on the bedside table.

"What brought this on?" He asked softly, rubbing smooth circles in my back. I was listening to his thumping heart, it seemed to be the loudest sound in the room. It reminded me of the _Tell Tale Heart, _though, I wasn't guilty for murdering an old man with cataracts in his eyes. I took a deep breath before I answered him.

"I just love you, that's all." Jacob chuckled again,

"I love you too." I wouldn't make this conversation depressing, I half listened to his heart.

"What's this one about?" I asked, he knew I meant the _Law and Order _he was watching, I squinted to see the little people on the screen.

"I don't know, I just turned it on."

"Oh,"

**2 days later…**

**Delilah's Point of View**

.

I don't remember the exact moment I went insane because I always thought that insanity was something that happened over time. I was wrong. God, was I wrong. I held Jacob's cold hand to my face, closing my eyes and taking in his familiar scent. The bedroom didn't feel like it was apart of the cozy home we've kept together for more than 30 years. I was seeing it with new eyes, eyes that felt like they've seen everything they were meant to see in life, even more than they were supposed to. Piper let out a whimper behind me, Lynette sat on the bed next to Jacob staring at the opposite wall. My boys and Indi were in the living room, I supposed that the kids were all at home but I didn't ask. I drowned out the quiet sounds of the TV in the other room, Jessie was on the phone with a doctor, I couldn't bring myself to feel hope. I held my breath as Jacob let out a cough that shook his whole body. My eyes shoot open to inspect him, I found that he was looking back at me with the most curious expression on his face.

"Hey," I whispered quietly, pulling his hair back from his forehead with my hand, Jacob looked around the room confused.

"Jake, are you awake? Can you hear me?" I rested my hand on his face gently, fear surging through my body. It's been a long, hard night. His teeth chattered, I pulled his blanket up over his arms.

"What the hell?" He whispered. I raised my eyebrows, delirium was common with Pneumonia in older adults, I wondered if he recognized me. I hoped to God that he did.

"Jake, honey, do you know where you are?" I whispered, Jake's eyes were wild, confused, a tear escaped from my eyes.

"My bedroom." he answered quietly, still looking around as if he were amazed by where he was. I let out a shuttering sigh of relief.

"I, I've been looking for you for so long." He stuttered, holding desperately to my arm as if he could hold me there, his grip felt like a spider's web, fragile and weak.

"I'm right here." I said, he still look disturbed about something, I leaned forward in the chair next to his side of the bed.

"I could hear you, it was so dark. I couldn't find you, I couldn't find you." His voice was louder this time, as if I didn't hear him the first time. It was almost scary, the fear in his voice.

"I'm here now, Honey, sit back." I gently pushed his chest back.

"Stay with me this time." I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear.

"I never left." Jake coughed again, this time, it left him struggling for air. He wheezed as he grabbed a tissue from bedside table where the tea cup from the other night was still sitting. Jacob muffled his coughs with the tissue. I saw traces of blood on the tissue as he threw it into the waste basket next to the bed. Piper had to leave the room, Lynette silently took her spot.

"Delilah," Jake took my hand again after one last wheezing breath, I looked into his eyes, I smiled, I had to hide my panic from him.

"Yeah?" With his free hand, he traced the bags under my eyes and wiped the old tears away from my face.

"I'm dying, Honey." There was no fear in his eyes as he said this, I admired him for that. My brave man. Lynette let out a muffled sob, she cried into my favorite blue sweater .

"Jake, no, don't say that. It's just pneumonia!" I shook my head in denial. He couldn't die, he always pulled through. I tried to swallow through the painful lump in my throat.

"I won't live through this one, Delilah." he said gently, wiping away the new tear that formed a blurring veil over my vision, his fingers trembled, I could see the fever in his eyes and at that moment, part of me knew he was right. Lynette finally had to leave the room, I could hear someone else crying too, but I didn't know who it was.

"I don't regret anything, I lived my life to the fullest. You gave that to me." His smile was tremulous. I cried harder into his hand, he continued to wipe the tears away.

"I don't either, Jake, you saved me." I said quickly, clutching at his hand as if I could only hold him, he wouldn't leave me.

"Don't cry, sweetheart." He whispered, he let out a fit of coughing again. More blood, so much blood.

"You promised me you'd live for a hundred more years, Jacob! You promised me!" I sobbed loudly, regardless of how immature I sounded, I couldn't think of anything else that would make more sense. I could hear Edward and Bella's voices from in the kitchen, talking quietly to Jack. I vaguely remembered calling my sister, it seemed like centuries ago. Jake's eyes started to droop, he's been falling asleep on and off these past couple of days, the illness making him exhausted.

"I love you so much, Delilah." He said quietly, I stroked his face as his eyes fluttered closed, fighting to get them open.

"I love you more than anything else in this world." I replied. Another tremulous smile appeared on his gaunt face.

"That's all I needed in my life, your love, s'all I ask for." he spoke more for a while with his eyes closed, not really aware that I was there right next to him anymore. After a minute, I guessed he was just speaking his delirious, scattered thoughts allowed to himself. I tried to figure out what he was talking about when he started to make better sense, I guessed he was remembering little forgotten moments of his life. After that, though, his thoughts returned back to a chaos mess, back into the haze of his illness. When his rambling was replaced by silence about a half hour later, I slipped into the bed next to my husband and rested my head on his silent heart.

**Two Days Later**

**Delilah's Point of View**

_One, two, three, four, five…._I clutched Jacob's favorite shirt to my chest and stared up at the blank white ceiling. I didn't think in coherent sentences anymore, just bright flashes of memory. I counted like I had obsessive compulsive disorder, like my life depended on it. My arms and legs were stiff from the mourning clothes I wore, I could feel the cracked mascara on my face as I lay on Jacob's pillow. All the warmth from his body disappeared, I turned on my side and buried my head into his pillow. _One, two, three, four, five,…_I was reminded then of the Exorcism of Emily Rose.

I cried into Jacob's vacated pillow, I hadn't really stopped crying since Bella pulled me away from Jacob's body two days ago. I hadn't slept since the night I made Jake tea, the cup still sat on the bedside table, alone now, just like me. He had been fine then, death stole him away from me fast. I wished it would do me the same service. I wished to die, too. I had no more feeling, no wish to have feeling. I thought of Jacob's final coherent moments and wondered what he was thinking. Was he scared? He didn't look it. Did his whole life flash before his eyes? From his rambling, it sounded like it. I've never needed to hold him in my arms more than now, and the realization that I couldn't anymore hit my hard. I thought of my life, not just my life with him, but my life before him too.

I knew then what he was thinking, why he'd said that he hadn't regret anything. I felt the very same way. I thought of my parents, and my brother and sister. I had loved them all equally, and I realized that without them, I wouldn't have had the wonderful life that I had these past years. I thought of my children and grandchildren, whom I loved unconditionally and knew that they would all do good things with their lives as well. I felt at peace for a moment, thinking of my family. _One, two, three, four, five…_ I closed my eyes, hoping desperately that it was for the last time. My last memory of life would be a dream.

**---END---**

**--I would like to thank everyone who had inspired me these passed months, and the people who stuck with the story this whole time. Thank you so, so much! **

**--I can never end a story without an inspiring play list to go along with it so enjoy this as well**

**Playlist**

**1. People C'mon by Delta Spirit**

**2. Intro by The Hush Sound**

**3. We Were Made For Each Other by Jack's Mannequin**

**4. Weekend Wars by MGMT**

**5. Just Like the Movies by Regina Spektor**

**6. He's Not It by The Late Greats**

**7. Shot of Tuaca by Peggy Sue and the Pirates**

**8. Secret by The Pierces **

**9. Quiet, Please! By Cold War Kids**

**10. Ghosts by Laura Marling**

**11. Take Ecstasy with Me by The Magnetic Fields**

**12. My Year in Lists by Los Campesinos!**

**13. Toothpaste Kisses by The Maccabess**

**14. Listen Up! By The Gossip**

**15. Heartstopper by Emiliana Torrini**

**16. Better than Love by Griffin House**

**17. You Are My Sunshine by Johnny Cash**

**18. LDN by Lily Allen**

**19. Even While You're Sleeping by The Acorn**

**20. Family Tree by TV On the Radio**

**21. Folding Chair by Regina Spektor**

**22. Fernando Pando by The Virgins**

**23. I'm a Cuckoo by Belle and Sebastian **

**24. Moon River by Andy Williams**

**25. Part One by Band of Horses**

**26. My Manic and I by Laura Marling**

**Enjoy! Thank you all, again!**


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